Ranking the Best All-Stars in Toronto Maple Leafs History

The Toronto Maple Leafs' season has once again become one of disappointment and bitterness for fans. It has become a forgettable season in many ways, but the club does have All-Star winger Phil Kessel heading to Columbus, Ohio, for the 2015 NHL All-Star Weekend.

Dozens of Leafs have been All-Stars in the organization's long history. In this particular list, we are going to consider the players who have represented the Maple Leafs in what has generally been an annual contest.

We're restricting our list to the modern era beginning in the fall of 1967. Let's rank the top five Toronto Maple Leafs NHL All-Star Game participants since that time.

Honorable mentions go to Rick Vaive, Wendel Clark and Lanny McDonald.

5. Phil Kessel, Winger

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Phil Kessel's game is tailor-made to NHL All-Star Games. The high-scoring winger loves to have the puck on his stick and attack the opposition's net.

It's no secret that Kessel's game is not rooted in strong, two-way play. Kessel is built to score goals like few other players in the game today.

The 2015 NHL All-Star Game will be Kessel's third. Expect to see the Leafs' leading scorer creating all kinds of chances in Columbus this weekend.

4. Borje Salming, Defenceman

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Borje Salming remains one of the top all-around defenders in Leafs history. Salming's game featured toughness and skill in equal doses. While many Europeans were considered soft by some North American observers in his era, Salming exploded that myth.

Salming posted 787 NHL points, with all but 19 of those coming with the Leafs. He was voted an All-Star both for the All-Star Game and at the end of several seasons.

He also earned over 1,300 penalty minutes while making life miserable for high-flying opponents. Salming personified grit, leadership and puck skill in an intimidating package.

3. Darryl Sittler, Forward

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Darryl Sittler remains one of the more beloved Leafs in the last 50 years. Sittler was a gifted scorer who earned 1,121 points in 1,096 NHL games. He had some productive years in Philadelphia with the Flyers, but his best years were in Toronto.

The former first-round pick of the Leafs in 1970 played in four All-Star Games as a representative of the Leafs. He was a sniper who also possessed an unselfish streak that made him an underrated playmaker.

Sittler always led from the front and displayed leadership qualities throughout his career. At his best, Sittler was a dominant NHL forward.

2. Doug Gilmour, Centre

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Centre Doug Gilmour played in two NHL All-Star Games while a member of the Leafs. Gilmour's skill was matched equally by his will to win.

He wasn't the most physically gifted player, but few players wanted to win as much as Gilmour. He was a seventh-round pick by the St. Louis Blues and was not projected to be an NHL All-Star despite being a scoring sensation for the OHL's Cornwall Royals.

Gilmour had a goal and an assist in his two All-Star Games as a Leafs representative.

1. Mats Sundin, Centre

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Mats Sundin will go down in hockey history as one of the better players to never win a Stanley Cup. Quite simply, Sundin never had the kind of talent to play with that could his match his sublime skills.

Sundin was a powerful skater with soft hands, an exceptional shot and great creativity. He was a first overall pick of the Quebec Nordiques who had 1,349 points in 1,346 NHL contests.

Sundin played in nine NHL All-Star Games as a Maple Leaf and had two four-point games. 

The native of Bromma, Sweden, had a devastating combination of size (6'5", 231 lbs) and the ability to play at high speed with skill. Since 1967, Sundin is easily the best of the best among Maple Leafs NHL All-Stars.

All stats can be found on the mapleleafs.nhl.com site and hockeyDB.com.