Ranking the 5 Best European Players in Toronto Maple Leafs' History

The Toronto Maple Leafs could use some players from any and every hockey-playing continent, given their current team standings. Playoffs in 2014-15 look like a pipe dream now.

While many talented players in the NHL continue to have North American roots, the Maple Leafs have a rich history of very good European-born players.

The Leafs have four European skaters on their current roster, but their top prospect, William Nylander, is a European-trained player who is expected to be an impact attacking winger in the very near future.

Let's rank the the five best European players, in ascending order, in the Maple Leafs' long history. Players must have played at least three seasons with the club to qualify and are judged mainly on their time with the organization.

Honorable mentions go to Nik Antropov, Nikolai Borschevsky, Alex Ponikarovsky, Robert Reichel, Marian Stastny and Alexander Steen. 

5. Miroslav Frycer, Forward, Czech Republic

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Miroslav Frycer was one of the more talented players to toil in Toronto in the early 1980s. Unfortunately for him, those were some of the worst teams in club history.

Frycer had good size for the time at 6'0" and 200 pounds, but his game was built on speed and skill.

The team never really had the linemates to offer Frycer to complement his dynamic game. Also, Frycer could look dazzling on one shift and then not be seen for extended stretches.

He played parts of seven seasons in Toronto and earned 330 points in 415 NHL games. Frycer never realized his full potential, but he was one of just a few bright spots in Toronto in those challenging years.

4. Dmitri Yushkevich, Defenceman, Russia

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Dmitri Yushkevich was Soviet-trained and brought consistency combined with toughness to the NHL. He played seven seasons with the Leafs and thrived under legendary coach Pat Quinn.

Yushkevich never scored more than 28 points with the Leafs, but he was counted upon to play against the other teams' top forwards on a consistent basis.

Yushkevich also represented Russia as a junior, at the Olympics and at the World Championships. Overshadowed by other Russian superstars, he provided the strength and mean streak his various teams also needed.

There have been many more talented Leafs defenders, but few combined honesty, steadiness and an ability to intimidate opponents physically in the way that Yushkevich did.

He was the kind of defenceman that clubs yearn for when seeking consistency in their own end of the rink.

3. Alexander Mogilny, Winger, Russia

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Alexander Mogilny was part of one of the strongest cohorts in Russian hockey history. Along with Sergei Fedorov and Pavel Bure, he formed one of the best lines in international hockey history.

The native of Khabarovsk, Russia earned 1,032 points in 990 games. He scored 76 goals in a season and won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2000.

Mogilny was one of the most electrifying players of his generation and had a nose for the net like few others. In 176 games with the Leafs, he posted 166 points. He was past his peak by this stage of his career, but he still had a lot to give to the Leafs in most of those three seasons.

He remains one of the more talented Russian-born players to ever play the game. Leafs fans can only imagine what he would have been like in the blue and white at the peak of his great career.

2. Borje Salming, Defenceman, Sweden

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Borje Salming had it all. He was big, tough, smart and could score. He was that rare defender that could control the game, at times, from the blue line.

Salming had 768 points in 1099 games in Toronto. He relished the physical aspect of the game, while providing offence on a consistent basis.

Salming played in all game situations for the Leafs. He was able to flourish in any situation. Unfortunately, he had the misfortune of playing on some of the weaker Leafs teams in the past five decades.

On a better team, he might have won a Norris Trophy or two. He ranks as one of the top European defenders to ever play in the NHL.

1. Mats Sundin, Centre, Sweden

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Mats Sundin was the first overall pick in the 1989 NHL draft, and he never really looked back from there. He ranks as one of the best players of his generation.

He could dominate a game like few other players with his size, speed and puck skills. He couldn't bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto, but he gave all that he could in trying to do so.

Sundin earned 1,349 points in 1,344 career NHL games. In his best year with the Leafs, from an offensive standpoint, he put up 94 points. The big Swede, who stood 6'5" and well over 200 pounds, was a minus player in just three seasons in Hogtown.

He made the players around him better—the mark of the best of the top players in any sport. He had tremendous vision and controlled the speed of play on a nightly basis. He was equally intimidating in a Leafs uniform as he was when he played for his home country. 

It will take a very special player to top Sundin at the top of this list.

All stats can be found on hockeyDB.com unless noted otherwise.