The Case for Tyler Bozak: All Tyler Bozak Discussion Here

[HockeyThoughts]

Tyler Bozak might have weak advanced statistics, and get a bad rap around here (which mostly seems to stem from the fact that he wasn't draftedand has been chained to Kessel since his arrival) he is not a bad player. I firmly believe a form of Bozak, who is not so firmly entrenched to the 1st line is actually a very valuable utility player to employ on your team.

Consider this:
-He is perfectly adequate or more than adequate at all of PP/PK/ES
--> He is learning how to produce on the PP, as evidenced by him leading the PP in scoring thus far (would be good addition on a 2nd PP Unit)

-He is great at shootouts. Actually he isn't just great.. He's the best! Literally! His 11 for 19 scoring rate, for 57.9% is the highest shooting percentage with a half-decent sample size. (All the the other options above him have only shot 1-5 times)

-He's T17th best faceoff man in the league sitting at a very respectable 55.2% (against top opposition to boot)

-At age 28, he sits in the midst of his prime and he has producing as such. Between his current season and last he has played 76 games and produced 25G-64pts which is a pace of 26G-69pts over a full 82 game season.
--> He also a been maintained a 0 +/- over this span playing on a line with JVR (combined -11 over last two seasons) and Phil Kessel (combined -4 over last two seasons)

-He's only owed 4.2M until the age of 32, ie. when his prime is coming to an end.
--> Players sitting in this price range include: Nikolai Kulemin, Brian Gionta, Chris Stewart, Cody Hodgson, Brian Bickell, Drew Stafford, David Jones, Daniel Briere. One could easily argue that Bozak is a superior player to every single player listed here. Are there some better players in this price range? Yes. Patric Hornqvist, T.J. Oshie, and his own winger JVR are better players for the price, but the most part the list of players at that cap hit are exceedingly underwhelming.

Analysis:
Should he continue playing on our 1st line? No. IMO he is not an ideal top line center on a team looking to be a real contender. This is no slight to Bozak, there just aren't many players who can succeed on all fronts playing such tough minutes.

I think we'd see the true value in Bozak playing in an established role on the 2nd or 3rd line. His line would be a scoring line, but also be capable of facing the other's team toughest competition. I liked the idea Randy Carlyle had earlier in the season where he made the Kessel/Kadri/Lupul line an offensively directed line while the JVR/Bozak/Clarkson was expected to take the harder defensive assignments. It just seems like common sense to play to his individual player's strengths. That first trio is absolute dynamite once they cross the oppositions blueline, while the latter trio has a great mix of players who can succeed playing a predominantly transition, two-way game. I think it gives the offense it's best balance and keeps at least two legitimate scoring threats on each of the top two lines.

And just as importantly, I though Bozak actually played some of his most thoughtful and noticeable hockey when he was separated from Kessel. While it's obvious that Bozak's numbers are inflated due to the sheer offensive force that Kessel can be, I felt that Bozak was able to really spread his wings and exhibit some of his own individual scoring prowess and puck moving abilities when he wasn't expected to simply dish to Kessel on very occasion.

I think if Carlyle really wants to mix up the core of this team he will take advantage of Kadri's newfound defensive focus and faceoff ability and pair him with Kessel for a longer stretch of games. This is Kadri's contract season and it's important to see what we've really got with the guy. Is he destined to be a 2nd line center who simply drives the offense on his own line? Or can he step into that true 1A-1B situation, play alongside the teams top player, win key faceoffs and produce at a respectable clip. This would not only help push Kadri's development, but I think would allow for Bozak to finally step out Kessel's shadows and prove his worth to his many skeptics.

Click to read more...

 

[Diatomic]

How I felt reading through part 1

 

[Damisoph]

lol hard evidence. That same evidence tells us that the Leafs are a piece of **** team.

Can't have it both ways.

 

[ErnieLeafs]

lol hard evidence. That same evidence tells us that the Leafs are a piece of **** team.

Can't have it both ways.

You mean the lack of primary assists on one of the highest producing lines in the league?

The fact that he's awful In possession?

Those numbers show a player way in over his head, and ineffective, which he is, on all accounts.

I don't believe this team has played all that well. On most nights we lose 2/3 periods, get outshot, out chanced, and straight-up outplayed. Carlyle has said himself, that this trend of being out played and out chanced cannot continue.

you think this team has been great? Lol

 

[TMLeafer]

Keeping it a general Bozak discussion thread.

KEEP IT CIVIL.

EDIT: that PPP article can be discussed in its separate thread already created.

 

[bunjay]

Leafs don't miss Bozak one bit. His contract is awful. His "chemistry" with Kessel has been nonexistant since his first 30 or so NHL games. He's our third-best center being given top offensive minutes. The only thing that's improved over ~250 NHL games is his pay.

 

[I Believe]

Good thing we have a nice 5 day break after today, Bozak should probably be healed up by then hopefully.

 

[Duffman955]

I think even a gaustad type player would be more useful to the team.

 

[HockeyThoughts]

I think even a gaustad type player would be more useful to the team.

We could certainly use the faceoff wins

 

[Damisoph]

You mean the lack of primary assists on one of the highest producing lines in the league?

The fact that he's awful In possession?

Those numbers show a player way in over his head, and ineffective, which he is, on all accounts.

I don't believe this team has played all that well. On most nights we lose 2/3 periods, get outshot, out chanced, and straight-up outplayed. Carlyle has said himself, that this trend of being out played and out chanced cannot continue.

you think this team has been great? Lol

Yep, those numbers. And who said the team has been great? The same imaginary ones that have been "propping up" Bozak I guess.

 

[ErnieLeafs]

Yep, those numbers. And who said the team has been great? The same imaginary ones that have been "propping up" Bozak I guess.

What's wrong with those numbers? They support exactly what you see from Bozak on the ice. In the same vein, they also do well in representing that the Leafs tend to get outplayed, despite winning the game. Soooo.... yeah, those numbers.

you said (paraphrasing) "the same numbers that say this team is ****?", as if to say the complete opposite. So I challenged the notion with the truth.

 

[bunjay]

Yep, those numbers. And who said the team has been great? The same imaginary ones that have been "propping up" Bozak I guess.

The numbers that show how irrelevant Bozak is to offensive production while he's on the ice are really not up for debate.

 

[cyris]

Continue here..

Why bother? Neither side is even listening to the other at this point.

 

[BIitz]

Tyler Bozak had a 1000 post thread dedicated to him?

Obsessed I see.

 

[PhilTheThrillKessel]

David Alter ‏@DavidAlter590 1m
Tyler Bozak has been placed on Long Term Injured Reserve, will not be able to return to action until NOV 21st vs Preds at Earliest. #Leafs

 

[Quares27]

I think it was obvious he was going to go on LTIR.. he'll probably be ready before the 10 games/25 days but it allows them to carry 2-3 extras instead of 1

 

[PuckMagi]

David Alter ‏@DavidAlter590 1m
Tyler Bozak has been placed on Long Term Injured Reserve, will not be able to return to action until NOV 21st vs Preds at Earliest. #Leafs

wow... that's a long time

why is he even injured again? i don't remember what caused it.

do we know anything other than it's a lower body injury at some point during the columbus game???

 

[Koolboss]

Bozak out till November 21st
Not nice to say I'm happy to hear that
But good chance for Kadri to solidify number 1c spot.

 

[Diatomic]

David Alter ‏@DavidAlter590 1m
Tyler Bozak has been placed on Long Term Injured Reserve, will not be able to return to action until NOV 21st vs Preds at Earliest. #Leafs

Wow. The kid's got his shot, he better run with it. Cmon Kadri!!

 

[rdawg1234]

Injury gives us a chance to see what Kadri's made of.

Long-term Bozak definitely should be replaced(unless the chemistry is so good that we somehow win the cup with him)

I can see us going deep with him in the playoffs, but getting that #1C(or another top 4 d) may make that one inch of difference we need to win.

Paul Stastny is an interesting piece at free agency(10 points in 12 games so far), but his cost may be a little too high cap wise

 

[bunjay]

David Alter ‏@DavidAlter590 1m
Tyler Bozak has been placed on Long Term Injured Reserve, will not be able to return to action until NOV 21st vs Preds at Earliest. #Leafs

The Leafs are going to have a hard time winning without him.




Said no Leafs fans, ever.

 

[PuckMagi]

the main reason why we'll be alright without bozak for the next few weeks is that we've probably got the best 4th line centre in the league in McClement.

i think our centres are all good enough that none of them will look out of place by getting bumped up a line higher.

 

[Duke Silver]

For those who think Bozak is holding back the Kessel-JVR line, holding them back from what? Becoming 100-point and 80-point players respectively?

Bozak knows exactly what his role is when he's out with Kessel and JVR:

At even-strength he's a puck-distributing defensive counterpart to Kessel and JVR's offence-first mindset. Often he will get the puck in the Leafs zone and immediately make a pass to a streaking Kessel, who carries it through the neutral zone and into the opposing zone.

On the powerplay he plays the pivot position in the slot, turning to whoever has the puck around our umbrella formation and presenting them with a second option in case their first option (Franson --> Phaneuf, Phaneuf --> Kessel) isn't available.

Shorthanded, he was our second-best penalty-killing forward in terms of PPGA/60min shorthanded last season. McClement was first at 3.75PPGA/60SH and Bozak was close behind at 3.95PPGA/60SH. Among all forwards with 75 mins or more of shorthanded time, Bozak finished tied for 10th in that statistic.

We have a team that is structured much differently than most other teams, as our best players are our wingers. We can afford to have someone like Bozak where he is. There is no rule that your best centerman should always play with your best wingers. It's called spreading around the offence.

 

[The Caveman]

For those who think Bozak is holding back the Kessel-JVR line, holding them back from what? Becoming 100-point and 80-point players respectively?

Bozak knows exactly what his role is when he's out with Kessel and JVR:

At even-strength he's a puck-distributing defensive counterpart to Kessel and JVR's offence-first mindset. Often he will get the puck in the Leafs zone and immediately make a pass to a streaking Kessel, who carries it through the neutral zone and into the opposing zone.

On the powerplay he plays the pivot position in the slot, turning to whoever has the puck around our umbrella formation and presenting them with a second option in case their first option (Franson --> Phaneuf, Phaneuf --> Kessel) isn't available.

Shorthanded, he was our second-best penalty-killing forward in terms of PPGA/60min shorthanded last season. McClement was first at 3.75PPGA/60SH and Bozak was close behind at 3.95PPGA/60SH. Among all forwards with 75 mins or more of shorthanded time, Bozak finished tied for 10th in that statistic.

We have a team that is structured much differently than most other teams, as our best players are our wingers. We can afford to have someone like Bozak where he is. There is no rule that your best centerman should always play with your best wingers. It's called spreading around the offence.

Thanks for this. Good post.

 

[Arizonan God]

If another centre goes down. what are our options? looks kinda thin now.