Why the Maple Leafs Bought Out Grabovski

[Cor]

Bozo is not a top6 C. He just lucked out in that he played with Kessel initially after Stajan was shipped.

We were given fairytales by Burke how he would try to find a C for Kessel. Enter: Tim Connolly. He got injured after playing a few games Centering Kessel and then sucked from then on half-assing his shifts (Buffalo fans had warned that Connolly is done). Reaction: Bozak again starts Centering Kessel. Lupul goes down and that line of Bozo-Kessel is shutout and boom 18 wheeler falls.

Recently we have seen Holland do pretty much the same thing as bozo and the line with Kessel and JVR doing their thing is producing in the same manner.
Except, Holland has got a decent shot and nose for the net. FYI he also landed 8 hits in the last game replying to all his critics that were calling him soft or Colborne 2.0.

Basically, any C would have done a great job between Kessel-Lupul/JVR. Bozo is not a top6 C as many on this forum seem to believe.

Who is saying that he isn't a better player because of Kessel and JVR. Of course he is, so would Kadri, Grabo, and heck, throw me between those, and I could pot 20 points

Doesn't take away the fact that Bozak is a good player, and a 2C. He is an above average 2C at that

 

[ConnorTO]

But give the guy some credit.

its hfBOARDS what do you expect

Kessel is a 3rd line winger at best - hfboards

 

[rdawg1234]

I guess this where you and I differ. I do not see Bozo as a top 6 player and am pretty sure other teams do not as well.

TO be a top 6C one needs some offensive instincts. Bozo has none. He is a bottom 6 player and for a bottom 6 player 4.2 mil is a lot of money

And yet numerous teams such as detroit were hoping that he could reach ffree agency to sign him for most likely 5m or so?

4.2m is not a bad contract at all. If he is just a passenger he'll still get a solid 50 points a year with Kessel, meaning he'll definitely have value for a while.

 

[Milan90]

It's bitterness that he was a "role" player in the first place. He's much more likely to be a game breaker than Bozo.

If anything, Bozo is the "role" player, and Grabo should've been put on the top line. Why? Talent! Grabo has tons more talent than Bozak. Pretty sure unless you lived under a rock the past few seasons you would easily agree. And the whole idea of "chemistry" is ridiculous. As if during the fast paced play of a hockey game, Bozak and Kessel have some kind of sixth sense and know where the other guy is at all times. Give me a break. From what I see, Bozo gets the puck, he desperately looks for a winger to pass to. So, he gets a respectable amount of assists because he ends up passing to super talented players like Kessel/Lupul/JVR. Certainly not because of situations that he creates from his own talent.

Bottom line is your best skilled guys should be matched with your other best skilled guys. Having Grabo instead of Bozo would give opponents a lot more to worry about. Then we could have a top line of JVR-Grabo-Kessel, and a second line of Lupul-Kadri-_______ (fill in the blank with a solid winger... Raymond perhaps?). Don't like that? Switch up Grabo and Kadri. Or Lupul and JVR. Much better situation than having Bozo in the mix.

Bozak is a role player. Nobody's arguing that. Grabovski was nothing but either.

 

[bunjay]

Who is saying that he isn't a better player because of Kessel and JVR. Of course he is, so would Kadri, Grabo, and heck, throw me between those, and I could pot 20 points

Doesn't take away the fact that Bozak is a good player, and a 2C. He is an above average 2C at that

Impossible to say because we've never actually SEEN Bozak as a #2 centre. We've only ever seen him with one or two far superior wingers who are able to drive possession and offense themselves. What would Bozak look like if he was expected to carry the puck-carrying and playmaking duties on a line? Not sure but I can't picture him being all that effective. His offensive contribution on a #1 PP unit and in between TWO ppg wingers doesn't suggest otherwise.

But we can't know because we've never seen it, and we've never seen it because Bozak has never actually had to compete for his spot. Which is extremely lucky for a guy with his skillset.

 

[bunjay]

Bozak is a role player. Nobody's arguing that. Grabovski was nothing but either.

The role that Grabovski plays is worth more money than Bozak's.

 

[p.l.f.]

Who's Grabovski?

 

[Crispy Crust]

its hfBOARDS what do you expect

Kessel is a 3rd line winger at best - hfboards

That would be ridiculous, but saying Bozak is a 4th liner isn't.

 

[leafstilldeath*]

Who is saying that he isn't a better player because of Kessel and JVR. Of course he is, so would Kadri, Grabo, and heck, throw me between those, and I could pot 20 points

Doesn't take away the fact that Bozak is a good player, and a 2C. He is an above average 2C at that

Bolded: TRUE Absolutely agree with it. (I might pot more than 20 lol )

To have a decent gauge of the kind of player bozak is we have to see Bozak play that role. i.e. We have to see Bozak play Center to other wingers other than JVR-Kessel. There is no denying that JVR-Kessel have developed tremendous chemistry (good luck to whoever faces that line against US in the Olympics).

To see if Bozak can be that solid 2C we have to see it. And from what we have seen from bozak even with superstars as his wingers is the following:

-Whiff on a one timer
-shooting wide from great feeds from JVR and mostly Kessel
-Always to Kessel when bozo has the puck even when Phil is covered
-Not carrying the puck out of our zone OR through neutral ice to offensive blue line
-killing any offensive opportunites the 1st line as a group creates (JVR, Kessel, Dion, Gunnar Or JVR, Kessel, Gardiner, Franson)
-Do you really want me to get to PP misgivings of Bozak?

From my understanding of the game to be a good top6 C/ 2nd C one should have at least decent offensive instincts, unfortunately bozak does not.


What (is) was Bozo good at?

-FOs
-PK

sound more like a 3rd or a 4th liner to me.

 

[garce]

The role that Grabovski plays is worth more money than Bozak's.

Bozak is a decent offensive player who meshes well with the teams best player. He also is good on face offs and a effective penalty killer.
Grabbo was a good offensive player who was not a great playmaker, although he played with admirable heart. Role and ice time were unlikely to change under this coach.
I'll gladly take Bozaks cap hit versus Grabbos there was not room for both. Grabs had to go at the hit he carried.

 

[leafstilldeath*]

And yet numerous teams such as detroit were hoping that he could reach ffree agency to sign him for most likely 5m or so?

4.2m is not a bad contract at all. If he is just a passenger he'll still get a solid 50 points a year with Kessel, meaning he'll definitely have value for a while.

A divisional rival paying 5 mil to a player that is not that good. I am fine with that.

Btw I did not hear or read news that any team was offering bozak money near the neighborhood of what you are quoting

 

[Warden of the North]

Didnt fit. Time to move on.

Love Grabo though

 

[Goonface2k14]

Bozak is a role player. Nobody's arguing that. Grabovski was nothing but either.

Well then that's where we disagree. The only reason you see Grabo as a role player is because of how the Leafs misused him.

I totally realize that there's more to these stories than meets the eye, and Grabo also had his episodes with Montreal when he played there. It's like Burke - the personality is questionable but the performance certainly is not. Too many egos in management let a skilled player that would've made the Leafs a better team get away, for nothing. Inexcusable.

 

[Cor]

To see if Bozak can be that solid 2C we have to see it. And from what we have seen from bozak even with superstars as his wingers is the following:

-Whiff on a one timer
-shooting wide from great feeds from JVR and mostly Kessel
-Always to Kessel when bozo has the puck even when Phil is covered
-Not carrying the puck out of our zone OR through neutral ice to offensive blue line
-killing any offensive opportunites the 1st line as a group creates (JVR, Kessel, Dion, Gunnar Or JVR, Kessel, Gardiner, Franson)
-Do you really want me to get to PP misgivings of Bozak?

From my understanding of the game to be a good top6 C/ 2nd C one should have at least decent offensive instincts, unfortunately bozak does not.

What (is) was Bozo good at?
-FOs
-PK
sound more like a 3rd or a 4th liner to me.

-Whiff on a one timer - Everyone does it

-shooting wide from great feeds from JVR and mostly Kessel - Again, every player shoots wide, nothing to get pissed at him for.

-Always to Kessel when bozo has the puck even when Phil is covered - I got pissed off at this one, but it's Bozak's job to get Phil the puck, he just needs to realize he is able to carry it in as well

-Not carrying the puck out of our zone OR through neutral ice to offensive blue line - Why would he? We have D like Phaneuf, Gardiner, Rielly and both Kessel and JVR are better at carrying a puck then him. Why have him do it? That is nonsense.

-killing any offensive opportunites the 1st line as a group creates (JVR, Kessel, Dion, Gunnar Or JVR, Kessel, Gardiner, Franson) - This is nonesense, Kess and JVR are still near PPG... so he isn't hurting them at all.

-Do you really want me to get to PP misgivings of Bozak? - He is on the PP for FO's really. But would you rather Tyler Bozak, or Jay McClement? Heck, they have been rolling with JVR, Lupul, Kessel and then Kadri, Clarkson and Kulemin? as the PP lines. Good chance that doesn't change when Bozie returns.

If these are your arguments as to why Bozak is a bad player, then man, I don't know what to say

 

[Ratboy]

I think it was the playoffs that sealed his fate. He skated really fast, right into Boston players and fell down. Repeatedly. That's what I remember.

 

[htpwn]

Yup. Pretty much what most rational people have been saying. Good player but just didn't fit here and I totally agree with his buyout.

The implication being that those who disagree with the buyout are irrational?

Nonetheless, while I may not agree with a lot of the arguments Nonis put forward, I think the article is a good refresher of the situation. So many people get caught up in the rhetoric, in Grabovski's complaints about Carlyle, in his detractors over-the-top criticism, that something like this is needed to put the whole picture into perspective.

Despite his off-year last year, Grabovski was streaky, but very good player for us for many years and was very popular among the fan base. Obviously a lot of that has disappeared, given his struggles and parting comments towards Carlyle, but it far too often overlooked. His struggles last year were somewhat at the hands of Carlyle (not ice time, but QoC and inferior linemates), but mostly his own fault. He played terrible, flat out. Whether that was to do with the intestinal issues that reportedly plagued him, or whether he just got into a slump and didn't emerge from it, or whatever the case may be. He wasn't very good, his heart didn't seem in it. When he did play well, in the playoffs, his ice time went up accordingly especially after Bozak went down.

My mentality going into last season was always to take everything with a grain of salt. It is a 48-game season, starting in January, players are coming back from playing in Europe or the beach in Mexico or anywhere in-between. Just an odd season all-round. In case of Grabovski, I would have liked to see him get another chance. The team had signed him to a long-term deal, because they supposedly believed he was a long-term piece of the puzzle. To jettison him after one poor (half-)year? Really? Maybe it would be easier to square, too, if that cap space were used in an effective manner. I'm not sure, however, that the Bozak contract is any better than the Grabovski one.

 

[bunjay]

Bozak is a decent offensive player who meshes well with the teams best player. He also is good on face offs and a effective penalty killer.
Grabbo was a good offensive player who was not a great playmaker, although he played with admirable heart. Role and ice time were unlikely to change under this coach.
I'll gladly take Bozaks cap hit versus Grabbos there was not room for both. Grabs had to go at the hit he carried.

Grabovski is a better skater, puck-handler, finisher, playmaker. Those are valuable skills

Bozak is not particularly good at faceoffs, he's a decent PKer, how much are those skills worth? Neither are a particularly strong physical presence, but Grabovski is indisputably the more willing and harder working of the two in all the dirtiest areas of the ice. Grabovski isn't used on the PK but there's really no reason to assume he wouldn't be good at it. Great skater, good conditioning, hard worker, things that make for a good PKer.

 

[Goonface2k14]

Bolded: TRUE Absolutely agree with it. (I might pot more than 20 lol )

To have a decent gauge of the kind of player bozak is we have to see Bozak play that role. i.e. We have to see Bozak play Center to other wingers other than JVR-Kessel. There is no denying that JVR-Kessel have developed tremendous chemistry (good luck to whoever faces that line against US in the Olympics).

To see if Bozak can be that solid 2C we have to see it. And from what we have seen from bozak even with superstars as his wingers is the following:

-Whiff on a one timer
-shooting wide from great feeds from JVR and mostly Kessel
-Always to Kessel when bozo has the puck even when Phil is covered
-Not carrying the puck out of our zone OR through neutral ice to offensive blue line
-killing any offensive opportunites the 1st line as a group creates (JVR, Kessel, Dion, Gunnar Or JVR, Kessel, Gardiner, Franson)
-Do you really want me to get to PP misgivings of Bozak?

From my understanding of the game to be a good top6 C/ 2nd C one should have at least decent offensive instincts, unfortunately bozak does not.


What (is) was Bozo good at?

-FOs
-PK

sound more like a 3rd or a 4th liner to me.

Agree 100% with your assessment. Well put.

 

[hd1344]

I have no problem with Bozak staying at the expense of Grabovski.

Provides more versatility (faceoffs, PK) and meshes well with our top-end guys. And does so at a lower cap hit.

Bozak's a better fit in our top-6, which is very winger-heavy in terms of skill. Although he doesn't possess the skill of his linemates (or Grabovski), he generally supports the puck very well, which complements his line nicely.

 

[leafstilldeath*]

Guess I wasn't clear. Here is a bit more detail

-Whiff on a one timer - Everyone does it

-shooting wide from great feeds from JVR and mostly Kessel - Again, every player shoots wide, nothing to get pissed at him for.

-Always to Kessel when bozo has the puck even when Phil is covered - I got pissed off at this one, but it's Bozak's job to get Phil the puck, he just needs to realize he is able to carry it in as well

-Not carrying the puck out of our zone OR through neutral ice to offensive blue line - Why would he? We have D like Phaneuf, Gardiner, Rielly and both Kessel and JVR are better at carrying a puck then him. Why have him do it? That is nonsense.

The way the system's been played Ds hardly get a chance to carry the puck. Puck has been slung along the boards hoping for either winger (playing low) to one touch the pass to the center for clean breakouts. With Bozo not happening. As soon as he gets the puck even when he has clear ice he tends to pass to phil. If he is playing as a defensive D I expect him to drive the posession and let the wingers get themselves open for one timers or shots from the slots.

-killing any offensive opportunites the 1st line as a group creates (JVR, Kessel, Dion, Gunnar Or JVR, Kessel, Gardiner, Franson) - This is nonesense, Kess and JVR are still near PPG... so he isn't hurting them at all.

JVR and Kessel are PPG despite bozak as their center. Has nothing to do with bozak as I have already mentioned before any C would look good between them

-Do you really want me to get to PP misgivings of Bozak? - He is on the PP for FO's really. But would you rather Tyler Bozak, or Jay McClement? Heck, they have been rolling with JVR, Lupul, Kessel and then Kadri, Clarkson and Kulemin? as the PP lines. Good chance that doesn't change when Bozie returns.

I would prefer a stacked no.1 PP unit. Look at pitsburgh. They hardly play Crosby and Malkin on the same line but their PP unit is

Crossby-Malkin-Neal
Letang-Kunitz(?)

Would rather have kadri playing no.1 PP unit to increase our chances of scoring


If these are your arguments as to why Bozak is a bad player, then man, I don't know what to say

-Whiff on a one timer almost always well...practically always
-Almost always shooting wide from great feeds from JVR and mostly Kessel instead of putting it on the net so either we get a rrebound OR the goalie gloves it and we get an offensive zone face-off.

 

[Milan90]

Lol are Grabo fans actually laying into Bozak for shooting wide?

 

[Goonface2k14]

-Whiff on a one timer - Everyone does it

-shooting wide from great feeds from JVR and mostly Kessel - Again, every player shoots wide, nothing to get pissed at him for.

-Always to Kessel when bozo has the puck even when Phil is covered - I got pissed off at this one, but it's Bozak's job to get Phil the puck, he just needs to realize he is able to carry it in as well

-Not carrying the puck out of our zone OR through neutral ice to offensive blue line - Why would he? We have D like Phaneuf, Gardiner, Rielly and both Kessel and JVR are better at carrying a puck then him. Why have him do it? That is nonsense.

-killing any offensive opportunites the 1st line as a group creates (JVR, Kessel, Dion, Gunnar Or JVR, Kessel, Gardiner, Franson) - This is nonesense, Kess and JVR are still near PPG... so he isn't hurting them at all.

-Do you really want me to get to PP misgivings of Bozak? - He is on the PP for FO's really. But would you rather Tyler Bozak, or Jay McClement? Heck, they have been rolling with JVR, Lupul, Kessel and then Kadri, Clarkson and Kulemin? as the PP lines. Good chance that doesn't change when Bozie returns.

If these are your arguments as to why Bozak is a bad player, then man, I don't know what to say

Ask yourself this question - would any reasonable 3rd or 4th line centre on another team be any different? You're making too many excuses for Bozo. If you're the top line centre, you need to compliment the talent around you, you don't just ride their coattails. Situations are going to call for you to be counted upon to carry the puck, to finish on your chances, to keep opponents off guard rather than always look to pass (ie playing a predictable game helps the other team defend you much easier).

Saying that it's not his job to carry the puck is just ridiculous. It's every player's, especially the number one centre's responsibility to do that when needed. This isn't football or basketball where you have such specifically defined roles. If he's not helping Kessel/JVR/Lupul, isn't he then hurting them?

 

[Cor]

-Whiff on a one timer almost always well...practically always
-Almost always shooting wide from great feeds from JVR and mostly Kessel instead of putting it on the net.

No, he doesn't always whiff on one timers. He has done it once.

He also doesn't always miss the net. You would have a better argument saying he shoots it at the goalies chest.

 

[Ratboy]

FFS, we gotta let this **** go guys. It's not good for your health.

 

[leafstilldeath*]

No, he doesn't always whiff on one timers. He has done it once.

He also doesn't always miss the net. You would have a better argument saying he shoots it at the goalies chest.

Majority of the times he misses the net. WHY? Because he is not skilled enough to handle the passes or get into shooting position quickly or shoot the puck quickly and accurately on the net.

You and I have very different ideas of how things should be done.