Predicting Toronto Maple Leafs' Quarter-Century Team selections feat. Phil Kessel

It’s hard to believe that a quarter century has passed for the Toronto Maple Leafs. That is why the NHL has launched a project in which all NHL clubs will unveil their Quarter-Century Teams as selected by a panel and voted by fans.

The final names will be selected based on the results of the panel selection and fan voting. With the Maple Leafs' Quarter-Century Team to be announced on Jan. 4 ahead of fan voting, it’s worth projecting what the first and second teams could look like.

Here’s a predicted Quarter-Century Team for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Predicting Toronto Maple Leafs Quarter-Century Team

First Team

• Forward: Mats Sundin, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner
• Defense: Morgan Rielly, Tomas Kaberle
• Goalie: Curtis Joseph

Toronto's First Team is a collection of players from the early 2000s and the latter portion of the quarter Century. Mats Sundin captained the Leafs for a decade, leading Toronto to the Eastern Conference Final in 2001-02. Sundin is the all-time leading scorer for the Leafs with 987 points.

Meanwhile, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are part of the current generation of stars. Marner and Matthews are currently sixth and seventh in all-time scoring, respectively. Both starts could catch fourth place George Armstrong this season if Marner can keep up his current pace and Matthews returns from injury.

Morgan Rielly is currently the Leafs’ longest-tenured player. He’s on track to become the Leafs' all-time leader in points among defensemen, as he is currently third with 490 points. As for Tomas Kaberle, he sits second on the Leafs all-time list in points. Kaberle is regarded as the Leafs’ best blue line since Borje Salming.

Curtis Joseph backstopped the Leafs to a number of successful playoff rounds in the late 90s and early 2000s, being the netminder that led the Leafs to the Conference Final in 2002. He played in Toronto for four seasons, racking up 138 wins.

Second Team

• Forwards: John Tavares, William Nylander, Phil Kessel
• Defense: Bryan McCabe, Jake Gardiner
• Goalie: Frederik Andersen

The Second Team consists of current players like John Tavares and William Nylander. Nylander is ninth on the Leafs' all-time scoring list with Tavares 14th. Phil Kessel racked up 394 points during his much-maligned time in Toronto. He led the team to one playoff appearance during his tenure, eventually winning two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On defense, Bryan McCabe was a staple on the Maple Leafs’ blue line in the early 2000s. His contributions made him a fearsome force, while Jake Gardiner, accrued 245 points, playing a smooth-skating style. His playoff blunders turned him into a scapegoat following the Leafs' playoff exit in the spring of 2019.

Frederik Andersen remains the best goalie of the latter portion of Toronto’s quarter century. He provided stability following a goalie carousel of forgettable names. Andersen is fourth on the Leafs’ all-time wins list with 149, 11 wins shy of third place Felix The Cat Potvin.

What do you think of the predicted Quarter-Century Team for the Toronto Maple Leafs? Who makes the cut on your list? Let us know your picks in the comments section below.