Toronto Maple Leafs All-Time Best Line Combinations
In their over 100 years of NHL history, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had more than their share of famous talent to come through and dominate for the team.
Where one player may dominate, at times, Toronto has had some of the greatest lines to grace the league.
Here are five great lines that shaped the Toronto Maple Leafs throughout the years:
1) Jackson-Primeau-Conacher (The Kid Line)
It's hard to argue there's any more famous line in Maple Leafs history.
Joe Primeau had spent two years in short flashes attempting to hold down a place in the NHL for a deep Leafs forward group.
It wasn't until 1929 where he finally got his chance, and the Center was placed alongside two promising youngsters on his wing in Busher Jackson & Charlie Conacher, all three being Toronto-raised.
Jackson & Conacher had been teammates in the Leafs farm club, the Toronto Marlboros. The team's head coach, Frank J. Selke, had experience as well with Primeau, having coached him a few years earlier in juniors with Toronto St. Mary's.
Selke went on to the Leafs in 1929 to be the Assistant GM to Conn Smythe. Later that year, Smythe put Primeau together with the two former Marlboro linemates Jackson and Conacher in what would be forever known as "The Kid Line".
The line lasted seven seasons together, faltering late and finally ending with Primeau's retirement in 1936. In that time the trio won a Stanley Cup in 1931-32, a year in which Jackson led the league in points (53), Conacher leading in goals (34), and Primeau leading in assists (37) and winning the Lady Byng.
All three would end up in the Hockey Hall of Fame, Conacher in 1961, Primeau in 1963, and Jackson in 1971.
Conacher was the brother of fellow NHLers Lionel Conacher, one of Canada's greatest athletes and a Hall of Famer in Hockey, Lacrosse, and Canadian Football, and Roy, an Art Ross winner in 1949. Conacher's son, Pete, was also an NHLer of over 200 games.
2) Drillon - Apps - Davidson (DAD Line)
At first, Syl Apps was poised to replace the retired Joe Primeau on the Kid Line, the one "kid" beside the now veterans Conacher and Jackson.
Immediately, the new center revitalized Toronto, winning the Calder Trophy in 1937, having 45 points and a league leading 29 assists in 48 games.
Jackson, who had dropped down to 11 goals and 22 points in Primeau's final season, rebounded to 21 goals and 40 points in one less game, 47 to 46.
An injury to Charlie Conacher forced the Leafs to find another winger to insert alongside Jackson and Apps. Toronto added rookie Gord Drillon to the first line, having a respectable 33 points in 41 games.
After Busher Jackson was traded in 1939, he was replaced on the Drillon/Apps line by Bob Davidson, who had spent a few years in Toronto, officially ending the "Kid Line" and introducing the brand new "Dad Line".
The trio would win the Stanley Cup in 1942, defeating the Detroit Red Wings after a comeback down 3-0 in the series. Drillon was traded the same year to Montreal.
World War II paused Apps career between 1943-1945, missing Davidson and the Leafs Stanley Cup win in 1945. Apps would get his hands on the trophy twice in 1947 and 1948, retiring at the end of the 1948 NHL season.
3) Mahovlich - Kelly - Nevin
The Maple Leafs had two legendary lines in the mid 1960's, Frank Mahovlich, Red Kelly & Bob Nevin on the top line, and Dick Duff, Dave Keon & George Armstrong on the second line, one of the deepest top-six of the Original Six era.
Frank Mahovlich learned from the great Joe Primeau in juniors, and took heavily from his mentor to easily make the jump to the pros.
A mobile skater with a strong physical frame, Mahovlich was one of the most imposing offensive talents in the league in 1960 when he was teamed up alongside Red Kelly, who had been traded from Detroit to his hometown.
Kelly moved from defense to center in Toronto in order to challenge the brilliance of Montreal Canadiens superstar Jean Beliveau, it was a surprising natural fit shifting Kelly to the faceoff dot, although having a great teammate in Mahovlich can make the transition an ease.
Bob Nevin and Dave Keon were two of the most promising young players in the NHL in 1960. Both players contended for the Calder in 1961, won by Keon. In his own right, Nevin was a skilled, hard-working forward.
All three naturally gelled together, their combined high-octane offense making themselves a highly deadly unit.
It's no surprise the Leafs dominated in this period, the line winning three straight Stanley Cups between 1962-1964, although Nevin was traded midway in 1964 to the New York Rangers in a blockbuster deal that sent stars Andy Bathgate and Don McKenney to Toronto.
Both Bathgate and McKenney showed up heavily in the 1964 Stanley Cup against Detroit, with Bathgate netting the series winner. Mahovlich leading the Leafs in points with 15, Kelly in second with 13.
At the same time, Kelly was a Liberal Member of Parliament while still a Hockey player between 1962-1965, defeating Conservative candidate and future disgraced NHL agent Alan Eagleson.
Kelly left politics to focus on the Leafs. Mahovlich would also go into politics, appointed a Canadian Senator by Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien in 1998, and retiring in 2013 after reaching the mandatory retirement age.
Mahovlich and Kelly would continue to be pivotal players for Toronto, including in their 1967 Stanley Cup win in which Kelly retired after that season, with Mahovlich winning two more cups in Montreal with younger brother, Pete.
4) McDonald - Sittler - Robertson
The line of Lanny McDonald, Darryl Sittler & Errol Thompson were not a legendary line the way the "Kid Line" was or the dynasty lines, but for one night, it was their connection that made history in Toronto, a necessary one for the record books.
In February 1976, The Leafs had struggled to find the right linemates alongside star center Darryl Sittler. Ultimately, Toronto Head coach Red Kelly paired Sittler with McDonald and Thompson to get a possible consistent pairing after a rotation of options.
Sittler had 2 points in his first game with his new linemates, with McDonald having an assist, though the next game would take things up a notch.
On February 7th, 1976, the Toronto Maple Leafs faced the Boston Bruins. The first period started off well, with Sittler having 2 assists, getting a pass leading to a McDonald breakout goal, and another to Ian Turnbull, assisted by Thompson.
The second period was absolute dominance for Sitter. 5 points in a hair over 11 minutes. A hat trick and 2 assists quickly got Sittler up to 7 points, along with the help of McDonald and star defenseman Borje Salming.
A stretch pass from Sittler found McDonald on the breakaway, with Salming sliding straight down the middle of the ice to receive McDonald's pass, crashing his way into a goal, his 2nd goal and 3rd point, and Sittler's 7th point.
The third period was all the work of their top line. leading to Sittler's 4th goal of the night, his 8th point, which tied Maurice Richard and Bert Olmstead for most in a single game. A breakaway goal sealed Sittler in the records for his 9th point. He'd add a 10th late in the game.
In the third, Thompson assisted on two of his assists, McDonald on one, and a helper for Salming. In total, 10 points for Sittler, 4 for McDonald and Salming, and 3 for Thompson, an 11-4 win for the Leafs. Not much of a surprise, Bruins starting goalie Dave Reece never played in the NHL again.
The forward trio may have been a bit rusty by the dominant effort, with a McDonald goal assisted by Sittler being the only points they'd get a day later against the Minnesota North Stars.
Amazingly, the Bruins game was 1/10 of Sittler's season point total, 10 out of 100. Sittler would get 45 goals and 117 points two seasons later.
The trio stayed in Toronto together until 1978, when Thompson was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. McDonald was traded to the Colorado Rockies a year later.
The move, which famously angered Sittler enough to rip the Captain's "C" off his sweater, was enough for him to want out, a move not consummated until three years later in 1982 with a trade to Philadelphia.
Even if the line was to last for just the Bruins game, it would still be a trio of legends for the moment it accomplished, but as much love as the trio deserves, an equally deserving mentions goes to Salming, who was just as much the glue that put Sittler in his moment of infamy.
5) Hyman - Matthews - Marner
The Leafs moved around their lineup consistently in the late 2010's and early 2020's, and an understandable flexibility given the amount of top-six depth. It was the trio of Zach Hyman, Auston Matthews & Mitch Marner that was the line of flair in this time.
Although sometimes on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander, the latter at times swapped with Marner as an experiment, the Hyman-Matthews-Marner trio was one of the most dynamic lines in the modern NHL.
Where Matthews was a first overall pick and face of the franchise from day one, and Marner a fourth overall pick and hometown kid who consistently was a superstar in junior, Hyman's path to be a top line forward took a lot more effort and a lot less notice.
Hyman may have been a rare case of hockey connections and wealth being a detriment to his chances. Zach's father, Stuart, was determined to see his son make the NHL, using his money to buy every team he could that allowed his son to play, owning up to 90 clubs across youth hockey.
Some teams starting in major junior had concerns that Hyman benefited from his family's vast wealth, and steered clear, Hyman going undrafted in the OHL. Hyman went to the Hamilton Red Wings of the OJHL, owned by, you guessed it, father Stuart.
A strong draft year in Hamilton, 75 points in 49 games, led to Hyman being a fifth round pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Where teams worried Hyman was a product of big money backing, what went unnoticed was Hyman's unquenchable work ethic.
Having a high-end effort and compete level, Hyman was a dominant force in the NCAA with the University of Michigan. In his final year, Hyman led the Wolverines with 54 points in 37 games, fifth most points in college hockey.
After choosing not to sign with his draft team Florida, Hyman was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he immediately signed.
Working his way up to becoming a full-time NHLer in 2016-2017, Hyman found himself on the first line in 2018 alongside Matthews and Marner, managing to displace veteran Patrick Marleau in the process.
The trio of Matthews, Marner, & Hyman would be a high-quality line that had the flair that made life tough for defenders.
It was Hyman's fulfillment of his ability to fill the role of a "glue guy" to stars Matthews & Marner, doing the little things to make sure the star forwards were able to push the puck forward and gain offensive chances.
In many ways, Hyman was the Ringo Starr of the Leafs top line with Matthews and Marner being the Lennon/McCartney whose genius was complimented by quiet intelligence.
Marner hit 94 points in 2018-19, and Matthews had 47 goals the season after. Neither season reflected in Hyman's stats, but he often did the gritty work that enabled the team to get points on the board, even if his contribution didn't show on the scoresheet.
COVID-19 cut what looked to be the trio's best season together, Matthews winning the Rocket Richard with 41 goals in a shortened 52 games, and 67 points for Marner in 55 games.
But it was Hyman that showed the most improvement with 33 points in 43 games, on pace for a career-high 63 points, greatly surpassing his prior high of 41.
Sadly, the potential of the trio together would not be realized as the Leafs let Hyman walk as his talent began pricing him out of Toronto, signing with the Edmonton Oilers, a move that gave even bigger prominence to Hyman who went from one superstar in Auston Matthews to another in Connor McDavid.
Hyman had a respectable 27 goals and 54 points in his first year in Edmonton on McDavid's line, a modest total but one that showed Hyman adapting his game into a finisher for the elite playmaker McDavid, having previously been a setup man for the elite goalscoring Matthews.
The next two seasons showed this wasn't a fluke, with Hyman having 36 and 54 goals respectively, with 83 and 77 points in those campaigns.
Back in Toronto, GM Kyle Dubas set out to replace Hyman's effort level on the top line. Eventually, Toronto landed on Michael Bunting, an analytical darling who was on pace for nearly 40 goals the season prior while being a hard-working winger like Hyman.
Bunting did well as a replacement for his predecessor, scoring 63 points, ironically what Hyman had been on pace for the year prior, and what Bunting helped make happen most was his hard work helping to lead to career highs for Marner and Matthews.
Marner had 97 points, 10th highest in the NHL, and for Matthews, he led the league in goals with 60, and tied for sixth in points with 106; an effort that earned Matthews his second consecutive Rocket Richard Trophy, and his first Hart.
Next year would be the year for Marner to dominate, with 99 points in 80 games. Bunting would get a solid 23 goals and 49 points, and like Hyman would end up using his play as a catch for his next contract, signing with Carolina on a two-year deal.
It was Hyman who set the blueprint of the Dubas era Leafs to bring energy to a young, offensively gifted offensive duo, Hyman's grounded style of play being the player who doesn't get the highlights and headlines, but makes the impact that wins games.
He's an archetype the team has spent years trying to replace, and to no surprise Bunting is now being relied on in this current season (2024-25) with Kyle Dubas' new team, Pittsburgh.
Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner would still have been great, as well as John Tavares and William Nylander, without having a Zach Hyman, but he did a thankless job that let them play to their strengths even more.
Hyman took their games to new heights at the sacrifice of his personal stats, having the mentality to put the team above his own skill, the definition of a true team player.
| POLL | ||
Which line was the greatest in Toronto Maple Leafs history? | ||
| Jackson/Primeau/Conacher | 32 | 4.6 % |
| Mahovlich/Kelly/Nevin | 83 | 12 % |
| Sittler/McDonald/Thompson | 378 | 54.8 % |
| Hyman/Matthews/Marner | 197 | 28.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
