I browsed around Fhockey.com to try and get some insight as to what the consensus was about the impact of LE.
Leadership is good for your captain, it is used in team talks as stated and will be used in determining the affect of these talks on the player. It also helps in big games, not just playoffs but also games leading up to the playoffs. This is all it does.
- Tieio
On what's more important, CON or LE...
LE, it has an affect on playoff performance and winning close games.
- Korolynth
Speaking from my own experience, most of my core players do not have good LE ratings. Seguin, who arguably is the best player in the file, vanished the first 3 games of the ECF only to emerge with 3A in Game 4. In addition, Seguin and Fowler's post-season production did not meet their level from the regular season. On the flip side, Brad Richards, who has been stuck in relative EHEC obscurity the past few seasons, was a dominant force come play-off time with 9G despite only having a 73 Shot.
I don't think it was a coincidence that Bern won all three OT games while also possessing a clear advantage in the LE department.
This is why I think we need to create a system that rewards active GMs with LE boosts. Seguin, who consistently average most TOI of any TB forward, had his LE go from 48 to 49. Furthermore, many of the guys who were in my top 6 F/top 4 D group only developed 2-3 points despite playing 16 playoff games. Imagine how hard it's going to be for a non-playoff team to develop LE, even if they sneak into the playoffs one year.