Leafs All-Time Team Vote: First Line Right Wing

[Jimmy Firecracker]

With the Leafs Centennial Season coming up, I think it'd be interesting to see who Leafs fans would vote for when creating an All-Time team. After 100 years and 1000's of players, many greats have donned the blue and white and represented the city of Toronto. Who makes the cut and who doesn't when it comes to creating a team of the greatest Leafs ever?

Rules:

1. Players must have played a minimum of three seasons for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

2. Players must be voted on for their respective positions, so the polls will only feature players in their natural positions (defensemen exempt, fretting over left D vs right D is a bit much).

3. Consider what these players did in their time as Leafs. The rest of their career doesn't matter.

Current options for Leafs All-Time #1 RW:

George Armstrong

Ace Bailey

Charlie Conacher

Gordie Drillon

Ron Ellis

Phil Kessel

Lanny McDonald

Alex Mogilny

Rick Vaive


(If you have any player suggestions, just let me know in a post).

Current All-Time Roster:

(#1LW)-Sundin-(#1RW)
(#2LW)-(#2C)-(#2RW)
(#3LW)-(#3C)-(#3RW)
(#4LW)-(#4C)-(#4RW)

Salming-(#2D)
(#3D)-(#4D)
(#5D)-(#6D)

Bower
(#2G)

Click to read more...

 

[Mr Hockey*]

I cant vote, but I would vote for George Armstrong from what I have heard about him.

 

[Drew311]

Vaive was a beast. No contest.

 

[67Cup]

Charlie Conacher, by far. At his peak he may have been the most dominant Leaf at any position ever. He led the NHL in goal scoring five times, won the Art Ross trophy twice, three times a first team all star, twice a second team all star, most feared shot in hockey and physically dominant. Also won a Stanley Cup and was a great humanitarian.

You will notice that George Armstrong is my avatar. If the poll asked who was the greatest leader in Leafs history, he would be an excellent choice. But the truth is that he wasn't a great player. Solid is about as good as it gets when describing Armstrong..

 

[harvestglen]

If we're basing these players on when they played, it has to be Charlie Conacher. Relative to era, you could even make a case for him as the Leafs' most dominant player ever. Consider that he won back-to-back scoring titles and led the league in goals 5 times in 6 seasons, all as a Leaf. On the latter front, the only other players to achieve this feat are Hull, Esposito, Gretzky, and Ovechkin (Richard and Howe also reached 5 over the course of their careers).

I realize it's to the point where almost nobody would have been alive to have seen him play, but no other Leaf has shown such offensive dominance relative to his peers.

Edit: I see 67Cup was thinking similarly.

 

[WWB]

Charlie Conacher, by far. At his peak he may have been the most dominant Leaf at any position ever. He led the NHL in goal scoring five times, won the Art Ross trophy twice, three times a first team all star, twice a second team all star, most feared shot in hockey and physically dominant. Also won a Stanley Cup and was a great humanitarian.

You will notice that George Armstrong is my avatar. If the poll asked who was the greatest leader in Leafs history, he would be an excellent choice. But the truth is that he wasn't a great player. Solid is about as good as it gets when describing Armstrong..

If we're basing these players on when they played, it has to be Charlie Conacher. Relative to era, you could even make a case for him as the Leafs' most dominant player ever. Consider that he won back-to-back scoring titles and led the league in goals 5 times in 6 seasons, all as a Leaf. On the latter front, the only other players to achieve this feat are Hull, Esposito, Gretzky, and Ovechkin (Richard and Howe also reached 5 over the course of their careers).

I realize it's to the point where almost nobody would have been alive to have seen him play, but no other Leaf has shown such offensive dominance relative to his peers.

Edit: I see 67Cup was thinking similarly.

I voted Conacher also for the reasons these guys said.

 

[Bullseye]

With respect that is due to Conacher and Armstrong, Lanny McDonald is my choice here.

The Leafs became a great team with Sittler and McDonald leading.

They got beat up by the Flyers, battled the French Connection in Buffalo, beat the talented Isles in the playoffs but couldn't get by the near perfect Habs with Lafleur Shutt Dryden Robinson Cournoyer Gainey Lemaire etc. etc.

Lanny was an amazing talent. Went on to win the Cup with the Flames finally. If it wasn't for Ballard he would have remained with Leafs and been the greatest at his position.

 

[Dreakmur]

Charlie Conacher is a 5 time goal-scoring champion. That's more than the rest of the entire Maple Leaf franchise. He was also a heavyweight policeman for his line. This one should be the easiest position to select...

 

[BayStreetBully]

The man in my avatar. Conacher is the only real option. He was arguably the greatest player in Leafs history. If this poll was given to fans who saw all of the above-mentioned play, Conacher would be the consensus #1.

 

[Lauro]

The guy in my avatar.

Voted 11th best winger of all-time by the history section of hfboards last year.

Charlie Conacher.

 

[RickyVaive]

Three straight 50 goal seasons on Leaf teams that were perennial basement dwellers. Plus all his other Leaf seasons were above 30 goals. Give Ricky some love!

 

[67Cup]

I'm glad to give Rick Vaive some love... but not as greatest Leaf RW of all time.

Honestly, this one has to be the easiest of all the positions. Spend even a few minutes with google. Charlie Conacher.

 

[Once]

Has to be Conacher. Armstrong was a beast too.

 

[Budsfan]

Charlie Conacher, I never saw him play, he was way before my time but is a legend and likely the best Leafs RW'er.

 

[Mad Brills*]

Kessel should be top 5......

 

[Dreakmur]

Kessel should be top 5......

Probably, but he sure as heck shouldn't be #1.

 

[Jtabo]

I want Mogilny cause he has chemistry with/compliments Sundin. Conacher can be on the 2nd line

 

[Dreakmur]

I want Mogilny cause he has chemistry with/compliments Sundin. Conacher can be on the 2nd line

Maybe they can play together on the 4th line.