Despite Morgan Rielly’s best effort to do so right now, nobody will ever pass Borje Salming as the Toronto Maple Leafs best defenseman of all-time.
It’s been a sad month for the Toronto Maple Leafs family and everyone who ever knew or watched Borje Salming, as he recently lost his battle with ALS, passing away at the age of 71.
The tribute for Salming in November prior to his death were one of the saddest, yet greatest moments in Leafs history. It was a bittersweet send-off for the team’s best ever defenseman.
Although I was too young to watch Salming every night, his highlights and stats speak for themselves. Not only did he put up tremendous stats, but he transformed the game. Without Salming playing in the NHL with the Leafs at a high-level, it’s quite possible that it would have taken decades longer for more Swedish-born players to transition to the NHL.
He was an icon in Sweden, but for all European players, as he was one of the first European-born players to dominate the NHL.
As previously mentioned, I didn’t get to watch Salming growing up, but I know plenty of people who did and understand the history of the Leafs well enough to know that there will never be a defenseman like him who plays for this organization again.
The Best Toronto Maple Leafs Defenseman Of All-Time
Voted as one of the NHL’s greatest 100 players of all-time, as well as an inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Salming is not only the team’s best defenseman, but one of the best Leafs player of all-time.
The current best Leafs defenseman, Morgan Rielly, is a fantastic talent and someone who could eventually get his number retired by the franchise, but he’s not even close to where Salming was and probably never will be.
Borje Salming career stats:
- First 9 seasons:
- 663 games played: 114 goals, 553 points (0.83 PPG)
- Last 8 seasons:
- 485 games played: 36 goals, 234 points (0.48 PPG)
- Currently in Season 10:
- 674 games played: 69 goals, 389 points (0.57 PPG)
Rielly is halfway through his NHL career right now and as you can see, compared to where Salming was at that point, he’s not even close.
Sure, Salming’s stats started to decline in the second-half of his career, but that’s normal. Salming’s down-years are basically on-par with Rielly’s best years, so that stat alone shows you just how good Salming was.
If you think it’s not fair to compare stats because of the Era’s, I can understand that argument, but Salming was world-class and one of the best defenseman in the NHL during his Era, while Rielly never has been.
Salming was voted to the First or Second All-Star Team for six consecutive years and even finished second in Norris Trophy voting twice. Although he never won the Norris Trophy, he was runner-up to Bobby Orr and Larry Robinson in those year’s he finished second, so I’d say that’s pretty good company.
I’m not trying to throw dirt on Rielly’s career thus far, but instead am trying to show just how important and great Salming was.
Salming was a huge reason why the team was so good in the 1970s and was part of a team that arguably had the best chance at winning a championship since 1967.
Rielly still has an opportunity to accomplish that feat and win a Stanley Cup, but even if he does, he still won’t be able to pass Salming as the team’s best defenseman of all-time.
Salming is truly a Toronto Maple Leafs great and will always be the franchise’s best defenseman of all-time.
Morgan Rielly career stats: