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Top 5 Most Underrated Toronto Maple Leafs of All-Time

By Stephen Nixon

GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 04: Phil Kessel #81 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates up to a face off against the Arizona Coyotes during the NHL game at Gila River Arena on November 4, 2014 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 04: Phil Kessel #81 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates up to a face off against the Arizona Coyotes during the NHL game at Gila River Arena on November 4, 2014 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 1: Kevin Maguire #18, Paul Fenton #16, Lucien Deblois #27, Aaron Broten #21 and Vincent Damphousse #10 of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 1: Kevin Maguire #18, Paul Fenton #16, Lucien Deblois #27, Aaron Broten #21 and Vincent Damphousse #10 of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /

#2. Vincent Damphouse

Some kids dream of being Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman or Wayne Gretzky when they play mini-sticks in their parents basement; I dreamed of being Vincent Damphouse.

Drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs six overall in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft, Damphouse was a big center who could score.

Having shown his offensive upside in the QMJHL with 155 points in his final year of junior hockey, Damphouse was hoping to make an impact in the NHL right away.

And that’s exactly what he did.

Scoring 21 goals in his rookie season, Damphouse finished fourth on the Leafs in goals. He couldn’t quite live up to Wendel Clark’s rookie performance of 37 goals in the previous season but Damphouse started his career off well.

Following a sophomore slump, the next three seasons for Damphouse were great. In-between two seasons of 26 goals, Damphouse’s 1989-90 season was one to remember.

Finishing one point behind Gary Leeman for the team lead, Damphouse had 94 points, which included 33 goals. At only 21-years-old, it felt like the Leafs had found that young scoring duo of Clark and Damphouse that would help get them back to glory.

However, one year after his best season as a professional, the Leafs shipped him to Edmonton for a package which included Grant Fuhr and Glenn Anderson in return.

Anderson had three productive seasons in Toronto, whereas Fuhr was the starter for one year before Felix Potvin took over. Instead of keeping a young Damphouse who would go onto have eight 20-goal seasons, win a Stanley Cup and captain both the San Jose Sharks and Montreal Canadiens, the Leafs shipped him away for pennies.

Damphouse may be remembered more for his time with the Canadiens, but his underrated career started in Toronto.

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