Toronto Maple Leafs: Top 10 players of all time

In recent years, it has looked like the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be the first NHL team from Canada since 1993 to bring home the Cup. They just cannot seem to get over the hump. 

Their window is still open as fans anticipate another playoff appearance, hoping to go deeper this time around to bring home their first Stanley Cup since 1967.

Take a trip down memory lane as we take a look at the top 10 players in Maple Leafs' franchise history.

10. Johnny Bower

It is no secret how important goaltenders are to Stanley Cup winning teams. 

Johnny Bower was exactly that for the Maple Leafs from 1958 to 1970 in which four Stanley Cup Championships were included. 

After joining the Maple Leafs at the ripe old age of 34, Bower became a staple in net and one of the most reliable pieces of the franchise for over a decade.

9. Turk Broda

Before Johnny Bower there was Turk Broda, who played his entire career with the Maple Leafs, during which he helped them win five Stanley Cups. 

He also mixed in personal awards like a pair of Vezina Trophies and a couple of NHL First All-Star Team Goalie selections. 

Broda was extremely loyal to the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise and battled for them in almost every single game for 15 years. 

8. Mats Sundin

Sure, it may seem strange that the leading scorer in franchise history is not higher on this list, but it is not directly Sundin’s fault as the lack of team success during his tenure plays a significant factor. 

However, with 987 points scored for the Maple Leafs spanning from 1994 to 2008, Sundin certainly belongs among the best players in franchise history. 

7. Ted Kennedy

There are very few, if any, players that were a better represenatation of the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise than Ted Kennedy. 

He is revered as one of the most talented Maple Leafs players of all time, but his legacy largely focuses on how he was a conssumate professional and Maple Leaf. 

Kennedy won five Stanley Cups with the Leafs, was a six-time All-Star as well as a Hart Trophy winner.

6. Frank Mahovlich

Plenty of these players have a fantastic mix of both team and personal accomplishments, and Frank Mahovlich is no exception. 

Mahovlich played over 700 games with the Maple Leafs and was a key contributor to four Toronto Stanley Cup wins. 

Mahovlich's production also landed him a Calder Trophy along with six All-Star selections during his time as a Leaf.

5. Borje Salming

One of the best defenseman in Leafs history comes in fifth on the top 10 players in franchise history. 

Salming was one of the first Scandinavian players to come over to the NHL and quickly became a superstar. 

He was a six-time All-Star and a consistent Norris Trophy competitor. 

Salming is remembered as a stalwart on the Leafs’ blue line with 1,099 career games played and was one of the best defensive players in the NHL.

4. Tim Horton

Arguably the best defenseman in Maple Leafs franchise history is Tim Horton. 

Horton is revered beyond Toronto and in NHL lore as one of the strongest players to ever play the game. 

He played 1,185 games as a Leaf, was a seven-time All-Star, and helped Toronto to four Stanley Cup wins. 

Horton was an extremely difficult defenseman to play against and in seven seasons he led the league in games played, while in four other seasons he played the second or third most. 

3. Darryl Sittler

In 844 regular season games played with Toronto, Darryl Sittler racked up enough points to land second on the list of all-time scorers in Maple Leafs history behind the aforementioned Mats Sundin. 

He was a four-time All-Star and collected 916 points in 844 games played with Toronto. 

Sittler is beloved by Maple Leafs fans as he was an offensive powerhouse with Toronto.

2. Syl Apps

In his first two seasons in the NHL, Syl Apps led the league in assists as part of 432 points in 423 career games over a 10-year career, all of which were as a Maple Leaf. 

Apps won the Calder Trophy, made five All-Star lists, and multiple times finished top-four in voting for the Lady Byng Trophy and Hart Trophy for his roles in three Stanley Cup-winning seasons. 

Apps was vital to Maple Leafs success and the story of the franchise cannot be told without him.

1. Dave Keon

Coming in at the top of the list as arguably the best Maple Leaf of all time is Dave Keon. 

Keon was a phenomenal Maple Leaf for 15 seasons, having enjoyed a very celebrated career to the tune of eight All-Star selections, a Calder Trophy, two Lady Byng Trophies, a Conn-Smythe Trophy, seven top-four Lady Byng voted seasons, and most importantly for the Maple Leafs franchise, four Stanley Cup Championships. 

Dave Keon had 858 points in 1,062 games played with Toronto and is remembered as one of the most instrumental pieces of all-time Maple Leafs success.