Why the Maple Leafs Bought Out Grabovski

[Cor]

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?

1. He does compliment them. He compliments them in something other then getting points. There is more to the game of hockey, then points.

2. It isn't his job. There are usually 3 other players better then him at carrying a puck. If he's the one with the puck leaving our zone, then it a) gets passed to a player that can carry the puck or b) We run a dump and chase

3. Actually, I thought this was golf.

4. He does help Kessel and JVR, just not necessarily on the score sheet. They can do that themselves, they have proved that. Chances are, you put Getzlaf on that line, they don't out produce what they do with Bozak. They are both PPG players, and they play like it with Bozak, won't change.

 

[MapleLeafs9]

Mark Masters ‏@markhmasters 13m
Grabovski on anti-Carlyle rant: "Would I say it again? Probably not."

David Alter ‏@DavidAlter590 8m
Grabovski says Oates allows him to be the player he wants to be and play his style. Says he is happy to be in Washington.

David Alter ‏@DavidAlter590 7m
Grabovski says he would have handled things a little differently if he could go back to the past Summer, says he was emotional.

David Alter ‏@DavidAlter590 5m
Grabovski says playing for the Leafs during the playoffs was the "best time of my life". Really wants to play postseason hockey again.

 

[Cor]

Murderers sometimes regret killing people, doesn't make it alright.

He bashed the organization and the coach. I don't care if he is sorry.

 

[The Apologist]

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.

Odd that Bozak's shooting percentage is higher than Grabo's considering how he is apparently the one that misses all the time.

 

[Wheels]

Murderers sometimes regret killing people, doesn't make it alright.

He bashed the organization and the coach. I don't care if he is sorry.

So if someone calls you an idiot once, he is FOREVER TARRED AS A HORRIBLE PERSON AND UNDESERVING OF FORGIVENESS?

Either way, he bashed the coach, not the organization. Or was there somewhere that he criticized the Leafs themselves that I haven't seen?

 

[Wheels]

2. It isn't his job. There are usually 3 other players better then him at carrying a puck. If he's the one with the puck leaving our zone, then it a) gets passed to a player that can carry the puck or b) We run a dump and chase.

If you're a top-six centre and you are the FOURTH-BEST puck carrier on the ice at a given time for your team, maybe you shouldn't be a top-six centre.

Again - I await someone to explain to me why Grabovski can't play with Kessel when Kessel's numbers were always better playing with Grabovski than with Bozak.

And if Grabovski is such a terrible defensive player, why the hell did Carlyle use him in a defensive/checking role?

 

[The Legend]

Murderers sometimes regret killing people, doesn't make it alright.

He bashed the organization and the coach. I don't care if he is sorry.

Did you seriously just compare murder to a player being ticked off about being bought out?

 

[The Legend]

Odd that Bozak's shooting percentage is higher than Grabo's considering how he is apparently the one that misses all the time.

Do you realize that shots that miss the net don't factor into shooting percentage?

 

[Cor]

So if someone calls you an idiot once, he is FOREVER TARRED AS A HORRIBLE PERSON AND UNDESERVING OF FORGIVENESS?

Either way, he bashed the coach, not the organization. Or was there somewhere that he criticized the Leafs themselves that I haven't seen?

Coach is in the organization, so he bashed the organization.

Also, yeah, not quite to the extent you are trying to play it. But chances are, if someone calls me an idiot, we aren't friends.

Did you seriously just compare murder to a player being ticked off about being bought out?

If that's the way you want to see it go ahead. Way off point though.

 

[Wheels]

Coach is in the organization, so he bashed the organization.

That's nuts. If someone insults my co-worker, they haven't insulted my entire company.

But perhaps it explains the demeanour of fans who believe that fandom means agreeing 100% with every decision the team makes.

 

[Cor]

That's nuts. If someone insults my co-worker, they haven't insulted my entire company.

But perhaps it explains the demeanour of fans who believe that fandom means agreeing 100% with every decision the team makes.

If someone insults your wife, do they not insult you?

And if someone who gets fired, insults your co-worker, more specifically your boss, you wouldn't be upset? I doubt that,

 

[Goonface2k14]

1. He does compliment them. He compliments them in something other then getting points. There is more to the game of hockey, then points.

2. It isn't his job. There are usually 3 other players better then him at carrying a puck. If he's the one with the puck leaving our zone, then it a) gets passed to a player that can carry the puck or b) We run a dump and chase

3. Actually, I thought this was golf.

4. He does help Kessel and JVR, just not necessarily on the score sheet. They can do that themselves, they have proved that. Chances are, you put Getzlaf on that line, they don't out produce what they do with Bozak. They are both PPG players, and they play like it with Bozak, won't change.

Absolutely, unless you're playing fantasy hockey, there is more to hockey than points. Thanks for clearing that up though.

The objective is to win the game. You do that by outplaying your opponent. Bozak doesn't do anything to help in this department from a top-six talent perspective. I can't think of a worse top line centre than him. If carrying the puck up the ice isn't his job, what is his job? Pass it to Phil? Let the other players do the dirty work while he floats around? Makes no sense to say it simply isn't his job, when it's a pretty fundamental skill to have in that role. Just because there's other guys on the ice who can do it, doesn't mean he should get a free ride. Teams that win are dynamic, not simplistic. They throw opponents off track. With Bozo, opponents know his limitations and are able to strategize accordingly. He's predictable. It gives them the advantage, not us. Stop making excuses for a third line centre playing in a role way which demands way more than he can provide with his limited skillset.

Put Getzlaf out there with JVR and Kessel, and you'd have one of the most feared lines in hockey. No doubt about that. It's laughable to even compare the two scenarios.

 

[Avec Fromage*]

Murderers sometimes regret killing people, doesn't make it alright.

He bashed the organization and the coach. I don't care if he is sorry.

You are the problem with this fanbase.

 

[garce]

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.

Grabs is a better skater and that is all. Never used his line mates and continually blew down the left side and whistled a hard shot, a few times it went in, too many others it hit a dmans pads, wide or off the glass going into no mans land. The fact that at his age he isn't used on the PK is a pretty good reason to assume he isn't good at it.

 

[BlueMapleDawg]

Oh my god dude you're out to lunch. Mailed in your credibility with the Bozak > Bolland comment.

That's possibly the most insane thing I've heard on HF. That's an accomplishment.

 

[Crispy Crust]

If someone insults your wife, do they not insult you?

And if someone who gets fired, insults your co-worker, more specifically your boss, you wouldn't be upset? I doubt that,

Why would he care if someone that was relieved of his duties insulted his supervisor? I'm sure all he cares about is being in the "good books" of his supervisor and taking a paycheque home.

 

[Cor]

Why would he care if someone that was relieved of his duties insulted his supervisor? I'm sure all he cares about is being in the "good books" of his supervisor and taking a paycheque home.

If you are a regular worker in a grocery store, sure.

You you work at a business firm, or something like that, you wouldn't be happy someone is bashing someone in your business

 

[Cor]

You are the problem with this fanbase.

(sigh)

Let me put into words for kids.

Just because you are sorry, doesn't make what you did alright.

Get it now?

 

[Northernguy10]

http://www.rotoworld.com/teams/depth-charts/nhl.aspx

Why don't you guys familiarize yourselves with what second line centers are exactly and ask why Bozak doesn't belong there.

There are absolutely better #2s out there but Bozak is about middle of the pack.

I'm not sure what criteria they use to rate the players but I started checking the centers of each team and for those that think plus/minus stats mean anything, Bozak was minus 42 over the last 4 years.I didn't go through all of the top 2 centers of each team but in the 15 teams or so that I did check, no one was even close to him in that regard. Just throwing that out there.Depends on everyone's view of plus/minus stats I suppose.

 

[Cor]

Absolutely, unless you're playing fantasy hockey, there is more to hockey than points. Thanks for clearing that up though.

The objective is to win the game. You do that by outplaying your opponent. Bozak doesn't do anything to help in this department from a top-six talent perspective. I can't think of a worse top line centre than him. If carrying the puck up the ice isn't his job, what is his job? Pass it to Phil? Let the other players do the dirty work while he floats around? Makes no sense to say it simply isn't his job, when it's a pretty fundamental skill to have in that role. Just because there's other guys on the ice who can do it, doesn't mean he should get a free ride. Teams that win are dynamic, not simplistic. They throw opponents off track. With Bozo, opponents know his limitations and are able to strategize accordingly. He's predictable. It gives them the advantage, not us. Stop making excuses for a third line centre playing in a role way which demands way more than he can provide with his limited skillset.

Put Getzlaf out there with JVR and Kessel, and you'd have one of the most feared lines in hockey. No doubt about that. It's laughable to even compare the two scenarios.

Carlyle has said that just because Bozak plays with Kessel, doesn't mean he is our #1 center. Best winger, doesn't need to play with our best winger. I would probably bet money that Carlyle doesn't use the terms "first line, second line... third.... fourth etc.

He isn't the one who carries the puck into the offensive zone... not sure how that makes him a bad hockey player? He can, and he has before, but Kessel, JVR, Phaneuf, Gardiner, Rielly, are much more effective at doing it, so I'd rather them do it, then Bozak just so he appeases you guys.

Getzlaf is a much better player then Bozak, didn't say that. But put in Getzlaf instead of Bozak, and Kessel's and JVR's production doesn't go up much, if at all.

 

[BlueMapleDawg]

Getzlaf is a much better player then Bozak, didn't say that. But put in Getzlaf instead of Bozak, and Kessel's and JVR's production doesn't go up much, if at all.

Oh my god. Stop. Just stop.

 

[Milan90]

I'm not sure what criteria they use to rate the players but I started checking the centers of each team and for those that think plus/minus stats mean anything, Bozak was minus 42 over the last 4 years.I didn't go through all of the top 2 centers of each team but in the 15 teams or so that I did check, no one was even close to him in that regard. Just throwing that out there.Depends on everyone's view of plus/minus stats I suppose.

Being on a team that had top 10 picks all but one of those years will generally lower your +/-. +/- is useful when comparing the same team but it needs to be taken in context when comparing players on different teams.

 

[Milan90]

Oh my god. Stop. Just stop.

How much can their production really go up? Kessel probably won't be a 100+ point player while playing with Getz.

Kessel generally isn't even reliant on his line mates, he scores by getting the puck on the half boards on the power play and firing accurate shots, or using his quick release while on the rush.

 

[Northernguy10]

If you're a top-six centre and you are the FOURTH-BEST puck carrier on the ice at a given time for your team, maybe you shouldn't be a top-six centre.

Again - I await someone to explain to me why Grabovski can't play with Kessel when Kessel's numbers were always better playing with Grabovski than with Bozak.

And if Grabovski is such a terrible defensive player, why the hell did Carlyle use him in a defensive/checking role?

Last 4 seasons with Toronto (2009-2012) Grabovski...Plus 7 total...Bozak...minus 42...

 

[garce]

Carlyle has said that just because Bozak plays with Kessel, doesn't mean he is our #1 center. Best winger, doesn't need to play with our best winger. I would probably bet money that Carlyle doesn't use the terms "first line, second line... third.... fourth etc.

He isn't the one who carries the puck into the offensive zone... not sure how that makes him a bad hockey player? He can, and he has before, but Kessel, JVR, Phaneuf, Gardiner, Rielly, are much more effective at doing it, so I'd rather them do it, then Bozak just so he appeases you guys.

Getzlaf is a much better player then Bozak, didn't say that. But put in Getzlaf instead of Bozak, and Kessel's and JVR's production doesn't go up much, if at all.

Nobody thinks that Bozak is a top centre, what he is a great fit for two top wingers. It would be great to have Getzlaf or Crosby between Kessel and JVR. But having a competent, efficient pivot who allows talented wingers to flourish isn't a bad thing.