ESPN listed Brian Leetch as the best 9th overall pick in NHL history since the league expanded in 1967, and it's a fitting honor for a player who is widely considered to be the great player in the history of the New York Rangers.
Leetch was drafted in 1986 out of Avon Old Farms, and the future Rangers captain hit the ground running quickly after being drafted. He appeared in just 17 games in his post draft season in which he tallied 14 points, and that was because he was making a name for himself at Boston College. That year he appeared in 37 games and tallied 48 points, and the 1988-89 season was the true beginning of what became a hall of fame career.
Leetch instantly made a name for himself
Leetch's rookie season saw him score 23 goals and add 48 assists for 71 points in 68 games, and he received 268 votes (42 first place, 19 second place, 1 third place) to take home the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. That season he was second on the Blueshirts in scoring as a 20 year old, and helped the team finish in third place of the Patrick Division before his squad was swept in the division semis by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Leetch's sophomore season was quieter, only 56 points in 72 games while dealing with a fractured ankle, but over the next two seasons he would elevate his game to the point where he was recognized as one of the best players in the entire league. The 1990-91 season saw Leetch establish a new career high in points at 88 in 80 games, and he earned Norris consideration with a fourth place finish.
The 1991-92 season was a big year for the Blueshirts, and the big news that offseason was the acquisition of Mark Messier from the Edmonton Oilers. Messier earned his fair share of headlines by captaining the team to a Presidents' Trophy while winning the Hart Trophy, but Leetch himself had quite the season finishing with 102 points in 80 games while also capturing the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman. The Rangers were eliminated in the playoffs earlier than they would have liked, but Leetch was one of the team's best players with a line of 4-11-15 in 13 games.
Leetch's crowning moment
The 1993-94 season is the year in which Leetch etched his legacy into the history books, and it's a year that cemented his status as one of the best defenders in league history. The regular season was standard fare for Leetch, 23 goals and 56 assists for 79 points across 84 games, but in the playoffs he took things to another level.
The Rangers appeared in 23 games en route to their first Stanley Cup in 54 years, and Leetch led the playoffs in scoring with 34 points (11 goals and 23 assists). To this day, Leetch's 93-94 run is the second-best playoff campaign by a defenseman, only Paul Coffey (37 points in 18 games) was better. In recognition of his achievement, Leetch was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, and he became the first American-born player to hoist the trophy.
Second Norris Trophy season
The other major highlight of Leetch's career came during the 1996-97 season. During this season the Rangers' alternate captain finished with 20 goals and 58 assists for 78 points across 82 games, and he won the Norris Trophy convincingly with 91.48 of the vote (42 first place votes, eight second place votes, three third place votes, and one fourth place vote). The Rangers finished with 86 points and fourth in the division, and were eliminated in the Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final by the Philadelphia Flyers.
Hall of Fame induction
Leetch's tenure with the Rangers ended when he was dealt by the Rangers toward the end of the 2003-04 season, and he appeared in 15 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 2004-05 season was lost to a lockout, and Leetch return for his final season in 2005-06 where he appeared in 61 games with the Boston Bruins.
When all was said and done, Leetch had 247 goals, 781 assists, and 1,028 points in 1,205 games averaging 25:50 per game from 1996-97 to 2005-06. The first 10 season of his career did not have ice time tracked. In addition to his already mentioned accolades, he was include on the NHL's 100th anniversary team as one of the league's 100 greatest players of all time, and formally inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.