Slobberknocker Posted December 4, 2023 Share Posted December 4, 2023 (edited) happy holidays been a while since i posted. i was thinking about fox coming back and wanted to compare him against leetch. after four years gp 285/237 g 36/52 a 199 vs 177 +/- 87/ -3 just a rough comp here but i was wondering if you started a team and had to take either, which one would you choose. i'd probably go fox just because i feel he is more consistent night in and out. not to impugn leetch at all as his career spoke for himself. obviously you can not go wrong either way. thought it would be a fun discussion. fun thing about it is i think leetch would be just as effective in today's nhl. thanks. as an edit feel free to add analytics if you can find them. not my bag thanks. Edited December 4, 2023 by Slobberknocker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuddyInTheMiddle Posted December 4, 2023 Share Posted December 4, 2023 I would take Fox because he is younger. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Br4d Posted December 4, 2023 Share Posted December 4, 2023 Leetch was an end to end player. He wasn't Bobby Orr but he was very capable of picking up a puck in his own end, skating through the other team and putting it in the net. Fox is more of a technician and playmaker. Having seen both of them play I'd take Leetch but I'd be satisfied if Fox is what I had to take instead. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slobberknocker Posted December 4, 2023 Author Share Posted December 4, 2023 not bad. i think the cool comparison here is that leetch could play in the modern day. cant go wrong either way of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted December 4, 2023 Share Posted December 4, 2023 I'd go with Leetch as he was a much better skater. I also trust him to play 30:00 a night in a way that I don't trust Fox. Fox should actually not be playing more that 22/23, if that. They also didn't track zone starts for Leetch but Fox gets about 55% OZ starts. Leetch to me seemed much more reliable defensively. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbob Posted December 4, 2023 Share Posted December 4, 2023 Maybe I have a rosey glasses with Leetch but I say he is better than Fox in just about every offensive category. Dude could skate cutting on a dime and make some crazy offensive moves, his quarterback play had elite vision, and his fast / precise wrister changed the outcome of many games. This is not a knock on Fox at all, just how good Leetch was offensively skilled. I'd have to think more on the defensive side though, Fox would be my pick there and maybe by a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 4, 2023 Share Posted December 4, 2023 (edited) Leetch also had a pretty decent shot from the point. I haven't seen Foxy blast one in quite some time now. Edited December 4, 2023 by Ozzy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsm7302 Posted December 4, 2023 Share Posted December 4, 2023 I feel like both would struggle in the booth. I remember when Leetch was trying to transition to television.....rough. But strictly playing hockey; I'll take Leetch. Fox's faces and non effort on certain defensive plays really make me scratch my head. Thankfully he contributes offensively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJWantsTheCup Posted December 4, 2023 Share Posted December 4, 2023 2 hours ago, Ozzy said: Leetch also had a pretty decent shot from the point. I haven't seen Foxy blast one in quite some time now. Fox has a slap shot? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4EverRangerFrank Posted December 4, 2023 Share Posted December 4, 2023 Uncanny how when I look at them, and remember Leetch, they both have that same 'look.' Kind of a meditative, lost in the ether spacey look that is ENTIRELY deceiving. Both guys can make an offensive player look foolish at times but the key asset to me? Leetch could get you on the edge of your seat with his rush ability. Going with Leetch on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Posted December 4, 2023 Share Posted December 4, 2023 Leetch was a bit more dynamic. Guy scored a lot of goals. Leetch played in a tougher league. So much more clutching and grabbing. Fox plays in a faster more competitive league though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJWantsTheCup Posted December 5, 2023 Share Posted December 5, 2023 Leetch but ask me again in 7-10 yrs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Br4d Posted December 5, 2023 Share Posted December 5, 2023 Leetch is still 8th all-time in scoring by a defenseman. At their scoring rates Fox has to play 907ish more games to equal his overall production. That's basically 11 seasons at the same rate he is scoring now. However he'll still be 90 goals shy of Leetch at that point. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Leetch was a first ballot hall of famer and that is a very high bar to aim at. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albatrosss Posted December 6, 2023 Share Posted December 6, 2023 On 12/4/2023 at 1:23 PM, Slobberknocker said: happy holidays been a while since i posted. i was thinking about fox coming back and wanted to compare him against leetch. after four years gp 285/237 g 36/52 a 199 vs 177 +/- 87/ -3 just a rough comp here but i was wondering if you started a team and had to take either, which one would you choose. i'd probably go fox just because i feel he is more consistent night in and out. not to impugn leetch at all as his career spoke for himself. obviously you can not go wrong either way. thought it would be a fun discussion. fun thing about it is i think leetch would be just as effective in today's nhl. thanks. as an edit feel free to add analytics if you can find them. not my bag thanks. who's leetch and who's fox? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangersIn7 Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 Leetch is one of the 10 best defensemen ever. He won 2 Norris Trophies, A Cup, and a Conn Smythe. Fox isn’t there yet. Next question please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Br4d Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 Leetch was definitely one of those guys where after I watched him for a few games I knew he was going to be great. He wasn't quite there yet but he had whatever the quality is that makes you know right away a guy is a star. It wasn't flash. He wasn't flashy just very good on his skates and controlling the puck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siddious Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 On 12/4/2023 at 7:42 PM, RJWantsTheCup said: Leetch but ask me again in 7-10 yrs This. also thank you to whoever fixed the title Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangersIn7 Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 1 hour ago, Br4d said: Leetch was definitely one of those guys where after I watched him for a few games I knew he was going to be great. He wasn't quite there yet but he had whatever the quality is that makes you know right away a guy is a star. It wasn't flash. He wasn't flashy just very good on his skates and controlling the puck. There was nothing on a sheet of ice he couldn’t do at an extremely high level. His skill set was elite in every way. He was almost perfect fundamentally. And his instincts, vision, ability to read the play, and his mental acuity for the game were almost without equal in his era. Top-10 ever. No question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangersIn7 Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 For perspective…. Karlsson had his 101 point season last year. The first 100+ point season by a defenseman since Leetch last did it in 91-92. Karlsson did it in a Sharks team that finished in 7th place, and struggled to reach 60 points in the standings. Leetch had 102 in 91-92. On a Ranger team that won the Presidents Trophy. And should’ve won the Cup. Also. Karlsson was -26. Leetch was +25. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Br4d Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 It's amazing to me how long it had been between 100 pt seasons. Then I looked back and it was basically Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin, Paul Coffey and Brian Leetch. That's a pretty amazing group to be part of, although with Leetch it was just 1 season. He broke the ankle midway the next season. He did lead the NHL in post-season scoring the year the Rangers won the cup with 34 points in 23 games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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