43 Years of Maple Leaf Frustration: 1973-74 Season

By adding Lanny McDonald, Ian Turnbull, Bob Neely, Borje Salming and Inge Hammarstrom, Jim Gregory had managed to bring to the team the equivalent of five first round picks. With those five new players, together with an emerging Darryl Sittler, and new coach Red Kelly, the Leafs were on the upswing again.

After being astute enough to pick up Bernie Parent, the Leafs let him leave to sign with the Miami Screaming Eagles/Philadelphia Blazers of the WHA. However, when the finally got him back the flipped him to the Flyers for goalie Doug Favell and then picked up Eddie Johnston from Boston to shore up the goaltending.  Darryl Sittler was becoming a NHL star and finished 8th in scoring with 38 goals and 84 points. However, with Bernie Parent the Leafs would have become a Cup contender.

They did lose to Boston in the 1974 playoffs but the young Leafs showed much promise. The Leafs, though, were still lacking in toughness and that was especially apparent in a league being dominated by the brutally rough play of the Philadelphia Flyers.