Post by mokole on Jun 1, 2023 14:52:54 GMT -5
I've always been a Leafs fan but during the Lockdowns a friend asked us to make our list of top-10 favourite hockey players. It took me a while but I came up with 11, from Joe Sakic to Peter Bondra to Scott Neidermeyer; none of the 11 are Leafs. All of the 11 have played in the Finals, 9 have at least one Cup, 2 still play. No Leafs in my top 10, sadly, if I went to 20 there would be 2-4 then.
So I decided to do my top-10 for other sports during the lockdowns.
Baseball, 6 played for my favourite team, including my all-time favourite who had one League title; one never played for a League title, 4 never won one. The last two guys on my list are there because someone has to be.
Basketball, 3 played for my favourite team, not my all-time favourite who won 2 League titles; of the rest 3 never played for a League Title and 4 never won one. The last two guys on this list two are tenuous.
Football, 6 played for my favourite team, including my all-time favourite who had one League title; all 10 played for a Grey Cup and only 1 never won; my last 4 could someday change.
NFL, 6 again played for my favourite team, including my all-timer favourite who had one League title; all 10 won at least one League title; the last guy is tenuous but still on the list.
Soccer, 4 played for my favourite team, including my all-time favourite who won 3 League titles; all but one won a League title; the last two are not locked into the top 10.
Hockey, well I want my all-time favourite to be a Leaf; four of the guys on my top-11 I wanted the Leafs to draft, one guy did play a tiny bit as a Leaf but such is life. Three were drafted by Colorado, two by Philadelphia, two by Washington, two are true centers, 3 are C/W players, 4 are offensive defenceman, two are true wingers. No goalies. Three have 50 goal seasons, 3 have 100 point seasons.
Every few years I see someone coming along who I know would lead the Leafs to a Cup, starting with Joe Sakic. If I didn't hold to my all-time favourite player being a Leaf it'd be him, he should've been drafted, would've been drafted....
Do I see anyone e in 2023 who's That Guy? No, not with the Leafs drafting at 28 or later. Next year I'm watching two players to see if they have the skill (seems they do), drive and hockey sense, and if the Leafs will move up to get 'him' if I think he's The Guy. Of the 11 guys on my list the Leafs could've drafted 9 of them but passed, 2 would've had to trade up a little to get them. Such is life.
Youngest guy on my list is Bowen Byram, yup that guy. Heard of him when he was 15, knew he had all I liked, then came the WHL final against the Raiders; Raiders won the first three games but game 4 to 7 I heard the pre-game show by chance e each night:
Game 4: "Raiders look to sweep the Giants, Giants need someone other than Bowen Byam to step up, looks like this series will be over in 4"
Game 5: "Raiders look to close out the WHL final again after Bowem Byram single-handedly took over Game 4 and lead the Giants to victory. They'll need more than him to win Game 5."
Game 6: "Raiders vs. Vancouver in Game 6, Bowen Byram again took over with little help from his teammates, hard to believe he could take over like that twice but unless someone else on the Giants steps up P.A. will win game 6."
Game 7: "Tonight it's Game 7 as the P.A. Raiders play the Bowen Byram's for the WHL championship." NO kidding, that's how Game 7 started. After that I knew Byram would go top 5 and it'd take a miracle for the Leafs to trade up and draft him. After his stellar performance in the 2022 Finals, I wish miracles like that could happen, his 'ailments' notwithstanding.
So I decided to do my top-10 for other sports during the lockdowns.
Baseball, 6 played for my favourite team, including my all-time favourite who had one League title; one never played for a League title, 4 never won one. The last two guys on my list are there because someone has to be.
Basketball, 3 played for my favourite team, not my all-time favourite who won 2 League titles; of the rest 3 never played for a League Title and 4 never won one. The last two guys on this list two are tenuous.
Football, 6 played for my favourite team, including my all-time favourite who had one League title; all 10 played for a Grey Cup and only 1 never won; my last 4 could someday change.
NFL, 6 again played for my favourite team, including my all-timer favourite who had one League title; all 10 won at least one League title; the last guy is tenuous but still on the list.
Soccer, 4 played for my favourite team, including my all-time favourite who won 3 League titles; all but one won a League title; the last two are not locked into the top 10.
Hockey, well I want my all-time favourite to be a Leaf; four of the guys on my top-11 I wanted the Leafs to draft, one guy did play a tiny bit as a Leaf but such is life. Three were drafted by Colorado, two by Philadelphia, two by Washington, two are true centers, 3 are C/W players, 4 are offensive defenceman, two are true wingers. No goalies. Three have 50 goal seasons, 3 have 100 point seasons.
Every few years I see someone coming along who I know would lead the Leafs to a Cup, starting with Joe Sakic. If I didn't hold to my all-time favourite player being a Leaf it'd be him, he should've been drafted, would've been drafted....
Do I see anyone e in 2023 who's That Guy? No, not with the Leafs drafting at 28 or later. Next year I'm watching two players to see if they have the skill (seems they do), drive and hockey sense, and if the Leafs will move up to get 'him' if I think he's The Guy. Of the 11 guys on my list the Leafs could've drafted 9 of them but passed, 2 would've had to trade up a little to get them. Such is life.
Youngest guy on my list is Bowen Byram, yup that guy. Heard of him when he was 15, knew he had all I liked, then came the WHL final against the Raiders; Raiders won the first three games but game 4 to 7 I heard the pre-game show by chance e each night:
Game 4: "Raiders look to sweep the Giants, Giants need someone other than Bowen Byam to step up, looks like this series will be over in 4"
Game 5: "Raiders look to close out the WHL final again after Bowem Byram single-handedly took over Game 4 and lead the Giants to victory. They'll need more than him to win Game 5."
Game 6: "Raiders vs. Vancouver in Game 6, Bowen Byram again took over with little help from his teammates, hard to believe he could take over like that twice but unless someone else on the Giants steps up P.A. will win game 6."
Game 7: "Tonight it's Game 7 as the P.A. Raiders play the Bowen Byram's for the WHL championship." NO kidding, that's how Game 7 started. After that I knew Byram would go top 5 and it'd take a miracle for the Leafs to trade up and draft him. After his stellar performance in the 2022 Finals, I wish miracles like that could happen, his 'ailments' notwithstanding.