Yes. We have Bozak now.

[ForSpareParts*]

There is so much lamenting going on about the Bozak signing. I can't believe it exists to be honest. I think he's been a decent player for the Leafs. All he's done is improve his game as his career went on. Don't people see that?

Honestly though are you just sore because we couldn't pull Getzlaf from ANA?

If you are subscribing to the friends with Kessel conspiracy then why is that a conspiracy. Don't other teams in the league have players who've developed friendships?

So what were our options in July? Who did the Leafs really need?

Ribeiro
Roy
Weiss
Elies
Gomez
Cullen

?

I'm sorry but Bozak at 4.2 million is reasonable especially when you can expect him to improve his game even more.

I know many of you are going to miss Grabo, but there's no way he's going to play *1st line C for the Capitals. Why on earth would he be considered for the 1st line in Toronto?

I'm all for Bozak. Toronto did the right thing.

Click to read more...

 

[TootooTrain]

Cost efficient yes and he doesn't hurt us, but having him as our #1 guy certainly won't propel us into the elite categorey anytime soon. Those guys are hard to find, I can accept that. So I understand the Bozak signing as a stopgap.

 

[InShannyWeTrust]

I agree and hopefully kadri can take over the #1 job abs bozak becomes the 2

 

[enixer]

I'm sure every city has the same "quality" fans, but the reason many people in Toronto are upset about Bozak is that he's also the GM, offered himself a deal, signed the deal, and has done nothing to get out there and sign a 1st line C.

I think the Bozak situation is already being discussed to death in existing threads, but I figured I'd respond here because I agree with you. Too many Toronto fans hold players responsible for what our GMs/coaches are doing. Annoyed that Phaneuf is the #1 D? Not his fault, blame the GM for not getting someone better. You didn't like Kostka playing so many minutes? No need to go nuts on him, it was Carlyle. Annoyed that there's no separating Bozak from Kessel? This is Nonis and Carlyle, not Bozak.

I don't have a problem with Bozak, especially considering his age and how I think he'll continue to get better. I also think we're managing down the middle as Kadri improves and Bolland hopefully stays healthy. At the same time, who wouldn't want a superstar 1st line C if one was magically available (and I say magically because I think it's idiotic to trade Kessel and we aren't getting one until Tavares signs with Toronto in 2018... )

 

[Warden of the North]

Fine with it. The hit is appropriate for a UFA C of his calibre

 

[patrick19631]

Bozak was sorely missed in game 7 vs. Bruins. He was out with an injury and the Leafs could'nt win a face-off without him. I like the signing .

 

[Pierre Gotye]

As long as Kessel is here, Bozak probably also will be. They seem to be a package deal.

Not a huge Bozak fan, and I think he kind of projects an elitist attitude off the ice, but he does what he does.

Not going to be a big points producer, but that's his role.

 

[ForSpareParts*]

OP fixed.

i meant that Grabo would not be playing 1st line C for the Capitals.

 

[Hurt]

As long as Kessel is here, Bozak probably also will be. They seem to be a package deal.

Not a huge Bozak fan, and I think he kind of projects an elitist attitude off the ice, but he does what he does.

Not going to be a big points producer, but that's his role.

How so, if I may ask? And what bearing does that have on his on-ice game, if any? You don't like him as a person or a player?

 

[Fogelhund]

I'm not thrilled that Bozak is our number 1 C, he is far from Elite, and him being part of the team as the #1 reduces the likelihood we become Elite. Having said that, I don't blame the GM for this situation, and I do believe he has worked the phones trying to improve us at this position, but just can't find a deal to get it done.

The Cap hit is reasonable for a Bozak, the term a bit long, but we say that about every deal now.

The bottom line on this, is this team better with Bozak, or with no Bozak? I never thought that Grabs was a solution either, but if we went into the new year with Kadri, Colborne, McClement and Bolland as our C's... well that would be a big old mess.

Signing Bozak was just one of those things that it seems we really had no choice in doing, we just had to do it.

 

[7even]

I'm sorry but Bozak at 4.2 million is reasonable especially when you can expect him to improve his game even more.

He's already 27; I don't.

I know many of you are going to miss Grabo, but there's no way he's going to play *1st line C for the Capitals. Why on earth would he be considered for the 1st line in Toronto?

Seriously? That's what you've got?

I know many of you are going to miss Bozak, but there's no way Bozak's going to play *1st line C for the Capitals. Why on earth would he be considered for the 1st line in Toronto?

I dunno, do tell.

 

[Funk21]

I think Bozak is a good 2nd line Center and a slightly over paid 3rd. Do i wish we had somebody that had a higher skill set anchoring our first line yes but he does a lot of things right and we really didn't have a lot of options available to us truthfully. Plus we all know Kessel's resigning has a great deal to due with the Bozak signing and thus he was paid accordingly.

His cap hit isn't crazy, he's good defensively, on the draw, and about the only player on the team who is okay on the shootout. The fact that we signed him hopefully means Kessel is pretty much a done deal.

 

[Durkin67]

There is so much lamenting going on about the Bozak signing. I can't believe it exists to be honest. I think he's been a decent player for the Leafs. All he's done is improve his game as his career went on. Don't people see that?

Honestly though are you just sore because we couldn't pull Getzlaf from ANA?

If you are subscribing to the friends with Kessel conspiracy then why is that a conspiracy. Don't other teams in the league have players who've developed friendships?

So what were our options in July? Who did the Leafs really need?

Ribeiro
Roy
Weiss
Elies
Gomez
Cullen

?




I'm sorry but Bozak at 4.2 million is reasonable especially when you can expect him to improve his game even more.

I know many of you are going to miss Grabo, but there's no way he's going to play *1st line C for the Capitals. Why on earth would he be considered for the 1st line in Toronto?

I'm all for Bozak. Toronto did the right thing.

Ribeiro is a passing machine. Perfect setup man for Kessel. THat would have been fun.

 

[ForSpareParts*]

Ribeiro is a passing machine. Perfect setup man for Kessel. THat would have been fun.

"fun"?

like Electronic Arts fun? at 5.5 million for 4 years fun? how's his d?

not to knock Bozak too much, but i think he often passes too much. at times he should bury the puck instead of look for Kessel.

is Ribeiro going to play 1 C for the Yotes?

 

[colchar]

Cost efficient yes and he doesn't hurt us, but having him as our #1 guy certainly won't propel us into the elite categorey anytime soon. Those guys are hard to find, I can accept that. So I understand the Bozak signing as a stopgap.

They were 6th in the league in team scoring last season and 9th (or was it 10th) the year before so they are doing fine with Bozak as their #1. Sure it would be nice to have a true #1, but it isn't a desperate issue.

 

[Avec Fromage*]

I would have prefered 3.5-4 for 3 years. He's slightly overpaid and I don't like the term, but it doesn't touch the Clarkson's deal in terms of awfulness.

 

[InterceptSchenn]

I honestly hate Tyler Bozak but all I can do is hope he puts up 60+ points.

 

[Dangles McGavin]

With Bozak signed for semi-long-term, it's tough to say what's going to happen, because long-term, we need a better 1C option.

So either Kadri proves to be a legit 1C, or we trade Kadri ++ for a definitive 1C, a kid like Mackinnon (I understand he's not a definitive 1C right now).

Bozak is a fine player, but I don't like him at his current price because we can't justify putting that salary on the third line. Unless the cap skyrockets *fingers crossed*

 

[Eb]

Any person who would rather have signed any of the players mentioned in the OP over Bozak is delusional.

 

[Duke Silver]

Before free agency, I took a look at UFA signings by forwards within the last 5 years. Taking Bozak's production over the last two seasons (0.63ppg = 52 points in 82 games), I ran a report to find other players who posted the same point-per-game totals in the two years prior to signing their deals:

Player | Ppg (2 years prior to contract) | Salary
Tomas Plekanec | 0.61 | $5M
Mike Fisher | 0.65 | $4.2M
David Backes | 0.68 | $4.5M
Alex Burrows | 0.66 | $4.5M
Frans Nielsen | 0.59 | $2.75M
Scott Hartnell | 0.68 | $4.75M
Ryan Malone | 0.58 | $4.5M

The average $/point was $83,070.80. Multiply this by Bozak's 52 point pace and you get $4.32M.

So I'm the camp that believes this is a fair deal for Bozak.

 

[SkateSave]

He's already 27; I don't.

Really? You don't expect Bozak to improve at all? He'll never be an elite #1 center, but to say he's somehow peaked is a little pessimistic don't you think??

He's improved his PPG rate pretty much every year and has added a little bit to his overall game each time. I don't expect the world from Bozak, but I think he'll turn into a savvy veteran with experience and still have some offensive touch to boot.

 

[false bobo]

I honestly hate Tyler Bozak but all I can do is hope he puts up 60+ points.

Why?

 

[Suntouchable13]

I honestly hate Tyler Bozak but all I can do is hope he puts up 60+ points.

I don't hate him, I just hate the fact that he is on this team.

 

[Durkin67]

"fun"?

like Electronic Arts fun? at 5.5 million for 4 years fun? how's his d?

not to knock Bozak too much, but i think he often passes too much. at times he should bury the puck instead of look for Kessel.


is Ribeiro going to play 1 C for the Yotes?

No, like NHL hockey fun. Like watching Kessel play give and go with a guy who can really dish, and also score goals. Surely you dont think Bozak is as effective as Ribeiro in a top line capacity...Ribeiro would notch as many assists alongside Kessel as Bozak is responsible for total points. Where he plays in AZ is irrelevant to what role he'd have assumed in Toronto. A capable 1C who makes Kessel a perennial 40+ goal threat is certainly worth an extra 1.3, especially given the fact that he'd also add more total points than Bozak.

I would submit to you that the quality of the passes Ribeiro makes VS Bozak is also considerably higher.

 

[crump]

Bozak is not excellent at any one thing. He has skills, thinks the game well, and doesn't do anything really badly. Like others have said, probably a good 2nd line centre. Elite centres probably have to be drafted, or through a block buster trade. Gilmour really became elite when he came to Toronto, he was always considered a very good player with that potential #1 centre tagged with him (scored over 100 with St. Louis) but that trade happens once every 50 years, Sundin scored bushels with Quebec, but with Forsberg there he was redundant and they used him to address needs. Took Clark to get him, possibly the most loved Leaf ever.

Bozak may very well end up being better than he has shown, but not a true number 1.