Best and Worst Skaters in Leafs history ....

[Erdinger]

Jim McKenny could be on either list

 

[tmlms13]

Roman Polak but recency bias

 

[Nineteen67]

Mike Gartner is the best

Allison is the worst over James because Allison was actually a hockey player that somehow scored 30 or 40 goals a couple of times.

 

[baton elevated]

+ Berard
- Schenn

 

[willmma]

Dave Anderchuck couldn't skate backwards.

 

[Fogelhund]

Worst in the history of the Leafs organization by far was Val James. Not even close.
Val James Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

I recall him getting a standing o for scoring in warmup in the old St Catharines arena.

Funny that he's mentioned, and then boom... an article on him on NHL.com

Color of Hockey: James paved way for U.S.-born black players in NHL

 

[coupe93]

Jason Allison says hi, and he will be here soon, just lumbering up the ice.

That spray Clark Griswold used wouldn't even help. To say he was slow doesn't do it justice.

 

[deletethis]

Dave Anderchuck couldn't skate backwards.

It's amazing that many of the pre-90's NHL stars couldn't skate backwards (and never bothered to skate backwards).

 

[67leafs]

Dale DeGray -

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Dale DeGray -

LOL. Another good old name. He's another guy I remember but moreso because I never saw anyone with such straight posture while he skated. Not something you would normally notice but it stood out.

On Allison, it was always weird because he was painfully slow but it was truly amazing how the puck stuck with him....always.

 

[rumman]

Jim McKenny could be on either list

the originator of the dreaded flamingo shot block.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

Jack Valiquette was such a poor skater. Russ Courtnall was a great skater.

 

[Jackson14]

Sorry if already said but John Tavares.

Also Jason Allison whom Tavares skating reminds me of.

 

[nuck]

Ken Yaremchuk and Gary Leeman

Kurt Walker and Dan "Snowshoes" Maloney. Honorable mention to Jason "the Statue" Allison.

 

[Ciao]

The Val James reference makes me laugh -- the only player selected in the 16th round of his draft year and a miracle he played in the NHL at all -- but Jason Allison is the one that sticks out in my mind. Somehow the game sped up around him and he couldn't speed up with it. Nice scoring touch, though!

 

[Ciao]

Mike Walton
Jim McKenney
Borje Salming
Mike Gartner
Alexander Mogilny
Jake Gardiner
Morgan Reilly
Russ Courtnall
Gary Leeman
Mitch Marner
Kasperi Kapanen
Tim Horton
Dave Keon
Darryl Sittler
Mats Sundin

No opinion on who was the best, but these are some of the strong Leafs skaters that come to mind for me -- not necessarily the fastest, but fast enough, agile, and strong.

Brian Leetch too, but not as a Leaf.

 

[ottomaddox]

I love this topic.


______

Was Eddie Shack the best skater? The guy did figure skating flying checks no?

Is it true that he was taught figure skating to improve his skating in the NHL or is that a myth?

 

[robertmac43]

Gartner would have to up there

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Best: Grabner,Kessel, Kapanen, Berezin, Mogilny.

Worst: Allison by far.

 

[fbalmeida]

Among the players I've seen:

Best:

• Mike Gartner
• Glenn Anderson
• Mogilny, praised be his name.
• Phil Kessel
• Gilmour had that low centre of gravity.

Worst:

• Larry Murphy - Sure, he was a wizard moving the puck along, but when he had to handle it himself or skate, it was difficult to tell if he was just about to come to a complete halt or if he intended to keep on moving.

 

[ironrhcp]

Jake Gardiner, not the fastest or best ever but a very good modern era leaf skater

 

[67leafs]

Jeremy Bracco is horrible......that all keep him off the leafs roster

 

[AreBe]

Worst skaters- The Good Canadian Kids, heroes to Leafs Nation, Patrick O'Thuggo, the Box Brothers, and the living saints according to Moron Man: Tough guys. Hard hitting guys. Guys that knew that when you have the lead in the third period of the playoff game that that is the time to start taking penalties, and if things go the American Association of US Ice Hockey Team's way, you give the American Association a good reason to call another penalty in overtime.

Best skaters: Ivan Svesky. European speed demons. Hated, loathed and detested by Leafs Nation. Great draft picks chosen by Dubass. Moron Man can't trade them out fast enough while some sucker will still get us some grizzled veteran with torn ACLs who can teach the kids how to sit in the box and be a player coach, teaching the kids what is takes to get the refs to really hate you, and put the AAUSIHT to the test with the "they cannot call everything" theory, especially if playing for a team in the Canadian Branch Plant Division.

 

[rumman]

Worst skaters- The Good Canadian Kids, heroes to Leafs Nation, Patrick O'Thuggo, the Box Brothers, and the living saints according to Moron Man: Tough guys. Hard hitting guys. Guys that knew that when you have the lead in the third period of the playoff game that that is the time to start taking penalties, and if things go the American Association of US Ice Hockey Team's way, you give the American Association a good reason to call another penalty in overtime.

Best skaters: Ivan Svesky. European speed demons. Hated, loathed and detested by Leafs Nation. Great draft picks chosen by Dubass. Moron Man can't trade them out fast enough while some sucker will still get us some grizzled veteran with torn ACLs who can teach the kids how to sit in the box and be a player coach, teaching the kids what is takes to get the refs to really hate you, and put the AAUSIHT to the test with the "they cannot call everything" theory, especially if playing for a team in the Canadian Branch Plant Division.

 

[BigBlu]

Wellwood would skate well.