Top 10 Toronto Maple Leafs Since 2000
Captain Clutch made Leaf fans feel like we always had a chance. Mats often turned the tide of the game with a dominating shift. When Mats played, the Leafs had hope and were a dangerous team.
His numbers may keep him out of the HHOF but CUJO was something else. I loved watching him make acrobatic saves that left others shaking their heads. Joseph's goaltending allowed the Leafs to open up offensively because he was good enough on his own back there to cover up mistakes. CUJO was the backbone to entertaining hockey.
Tucker's face was ferocious and it was his emotion that all Leaf fans loved. Darcy was a goal scoring giant in Kamloops and although he never filled the net like that in the NHL, was a lot more than a foot solider. Tucker hit like a truck, fought for his mates and created a lot of energy.
The former 50 goal scorer was a tower of power in Toronto. Gary's career was far from done when he arrived on the team in 2000. Roberts was a hitting machine and was a timely goal scorer. Even as an older player, he was still a bear on the ice.
Maybe the best late round pick in Leafs history. Kaberle always looked like he was 16, but he grew into a steady, two way defenceman. The smooth Czech, was a head's up, break out player, with a strong first pass and good technical defensive skills. He anchored the Leafs blue line for a decade.
Stumps was a great trigger man. He was a solid skater with a strong shot and was an exciting, emotional player.
Not a really gifted player, but Greener found a good home in the Leafs lineup. Green was a reliable forward, a good leader and glue guy.
Although he drove Leaf fans crazy at times and was basically kicked out of the city by fans, the former Brandon Wheat King had some tremendous offensive seasons. McCabe was a good hitter, a hard hitter and carried a big shot.
Before there was so much attention to face offs, Perreault was the best at it. Never a strong shooter, Perreault made up for it with a strong net presence.
If Stajan had of played during the competitive years the Leafs played, he'd probably be higher on the list and maybe still on the team. Staj, loved playing for the team and his emotion was palpable. Like Perreault, he was a good at face offs and going to the net for garbage collection.