I think it is also the case that, as posters skew younger and with few if any memories of what an "older" player was like, they tend to underrate the older player. This is normal and really no reason to be upset. And, you certainly don't want to be an old curmudgeon and constantly defend older players and that things were better "in the old days." I seem to remember a poll of Yankee fans that rated whoever was the current Yankee first baseman as being better than Lou Gehrig.
I think in the case with BL. the emergence of Adam Fox has put the spotlight on Leetch and the natural tendency of younger fans is to embrace their "own" to the detriment of "the older generation's favorite." Again, this is normal, and really nothing to be annoyed about.
Even though I have been a fan for many multiple of decades, I personally take pride in never saying that things were better "back in the day" because, honestly, they were not. Changing modes of play, strategy, tactics, and training advances, make it difficult to compare "old" and "young." Without a doubt, the players today, on average, are faster, more skilled, and better conditioned than the players even back circa 1994, which doesn't feel that long ago to me. I take pride in being able to look at things objectively across the years.
Adam Fox is a special player who just might become an all-time franchise player. He is still so young and it is fascinating to think of just how much better he will become with experience. He also plays in a different era than BL did, where an offensively gifted defenseman's role was different and it is unlikely that he will ever put up the numbers that BL did.
BL became a very good defender: he wasn't at the start of his career. I have hope that Fox will show the same progression. Honestly, right now, if we judge AF by his goal front presence and ability to defend down low, he is average at best. But that isn't how Dmen are defined these days and he certainly more than compensates by his extraordinary ability to carry the puck and vision.
But it is unlikely that he will ever surpass BL as BL was an exceptional skater. Fox depends on quickness more than sheer skating ability. I also don't see AF as being as gifted offensively as BL in terms of his shot. He is certainly BL's equal in terms of vision and on-ice IQ. That is saying a lot. The comparison between the two is fascinating and although sports fans across all sports have always enjoyed arguing about who was better over the years, I always try to be objective. BL was perhaps the greatest Ranger of all-time. The passage of years has begun to dim his memories and accomplishments. Younger fans may only have stories of him told by their "elders." It is normal for younger fans to grasp onto their own, especially when their "own" is an exceptional player like Adam Fox. But, those of us who remember Leetch in his prime, recall how incredible he was. Not just an all-star caliber defenseman, but all all-time great, That's not being objective or subjective, that is simply a fact.