The Case for Tyler Bozak: All Tyler Bozak Discussion Here

[PuckMagi]

Bozak is in his prime for sure. Good on the dot, faceoffs, good shot, speed, playmaker. Would be praised on a team who has a #1C.

And very good at shootouts. And can play on both the PK and the PP.

 

[Peasy]

People just rack on him probably because hes not flashy. Seriously, look at the leaf players that people on this board love, Kessel, Kadri, Gardiner, Nylander. All guys that are flash and thats it. Bozaks just a hard working NHLer but because hes not making these incredible plays or dekes he seems to be considered trash among these boards. I feel like leaf fans would ***** about RoR if he was on our team.

 

[Leafidelity]

Best centerman on the team. He's not a proper #1 center, but he's a pretty solid jack-of-all-trades #2.

 

[ALEXJD93]

Really prefer Bozak getting his ice time cut down and playing on the 2nd line. He's starting to prove to me that he can be a solid #2, but there's no way he should be in the top 10 C's in ice time. His body can't handle it and it ends up hurting the team. Getting 17 mins a game instead of 20-21 will be good for everyone.

 

[Menzinger]

Lets hope he actually makes it to 50 points this year, for the sake of the team.

 

[Purity*]

10 points in 9 games and looking not too shabby. If he can keep it up that's a pretty good bargain we got on our hands with 4.2$.

 

[mcleex]

He has been pretty good, just needs to keep this consistent. I think the Leafs problem is not a #1 C but rather their entire defense. Defense needs an overhaul starting with Phanuef.

 

[TheCLAM]

Bozak is a good secondary piece. If we had a legit first line center, I don't believe for one second that Bozak would get all this hate. He's an above average player at almost every faucet of the game. If the Leafs management to get that top-like center. It will take the media attention off Kessel/Bozak and literally let them play their games. A second line of JVR/Bozak/Lupul is solid. We need two more top 6 pieces IMO. Another top 6 power-forward, #1C, and another good D. I feel like we have the pieces to make this happen and push our stars down on the attention scale.

The bigger issue is that we've had immense pressure on management to do something big for sometime now. Instead they are putting their eggs into Kadri developing as a #1, which realistically I can't see happening. It's either you have Bozak or Kadri as your #2 guy. In order to make a big trade one of them will have to go. We are stuck in a weird middle zone where we're not bad enough to be a bottom 5 and not good enough to compete with top teams.

Pick a direction management, it's were rebuilding or competing. If the latter you need to take calculated risks. If it's a rebuild you need to be bad to get the proper player to develop within a system.

We have some legitimate pieces is the issue and some flawed pieces. I feel that Nonis is a very passive GM and ultimately it's a ripple effect amongst our whole team. It's the reason he got fired in Vancouver and the reason he will be tossed to the lions with the Leafs. Gillies made a couple big moves and got Vancouver to the finals. He made significantly bad moves after, but you need a hard-nosed GM to set the tone. You don't play well for 2 seasons? Well guess what your packing your begs.

The leafs have a chucky cheese mentality right now and it's pissing me off.

 

[ShaneFalco]

They need to make some tough decisions on Gardiner, Kadri, Phaneuf, Kessel.....Lupul to a lesser extent and try, somehow, to get a #1C

 

[HockeyThoughts]

He has been pretty good, just needs to keep this consistent. I think the Leafs problem is not a #1 C but rather their entire defense. Defense needs an overhaul starting with Phanuef.

Yes. To improve our defense we need to trade our best defenseman.

I definitely see your train of thought!

 

[FlyingLeafus]

Yes. To improve our defense we need to trade our best defenseman.

I definitely see your train of thought!

The fact that he's the best defenseman is the problem. He's getting paid like one but doesn't fit the bill on the ice.

Bozak for no real reason has always been a polarizing player. You can say he's riding Kessel's coat tails sure, but it's not like he hasn't made the team better by doing so. It's not his fault they can't bring anyone better in. He's done an admirable job, he just needs to play a whole season. That's a major reason people don't think much of him, he still needs to prove he can be consistent.

 

[TheCLAM]

Yes. To improve our defense we need to trade our best defenseman.

I definitely see your train of thought!

Dion gone shows an overhaul on defense and a focus on a new direction. I can understand the logic behind it. The idea is to give the reigns to the kids and let them develop into the role. Dion is one of our better defensemen, but in the same breath it's a double standard. DP can have an awful game yet, get his 20 minutes a night on a consistent basis. If Gardiner/Rielly have a great game, then a crap game theres a threat of being scratched.

Accountability has to be apparent with every single player. The issue is that some players get a "free" pass like Kessel has said himself. You can't let the prisoners run the jail at the end of the day..

 

[alexanderselivanov*]

if the forwards played deeper in their own zone like most NHL teams do you would clearly see the defenseman are not and were not ever the problem. How many times have I seen RIelly getting cornered by two forwards where no where to go or pass to because guys like Bozak or Kadri are playing high up near center ice. The D men are not the problem...yes phaneuf has his habits and so does Gardiner but in its entirety the bulk of the leafs defensive woes starts with the forwards.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Getting separated from Kessel is a big opportunity to show that Bozak is a good centre that can produce on his own .. I thought he played well, a chance for him to establish himself more independently

 

[Nithoniniel]

Getting separated from Kessel is a big opportunity to show that Bozak is a good centre that can produce on his own .. I thought he played well, a chance for him to establish himself more independently

He did play well, could have scored more. Puck bounced off his stick some, an area where Bozak still needs to improve.

 

[Diatomic]

Getting separated from Kessel is a big opportunity to show that Bozak is a good centre that can produce on his own .. I thought he played well, a chance for him to establish himself more independently

Excited to see how he fares

 

[HellasLEAF]

the points are nice.

how is he on the face off dot. how is he defensively. does he win battles on the boards. these are the things that separate the really good centres from Bozey

 

[Trapper]

Getting separated from Kessel is a big opportunity to show that Bozak is a good centre that can produce on his own .. I thought he played well, a chance for him to establish himself more independently

I would like to see Leivo recalled:
JVR-Bozak-Leivo
Move Clarkson back with Santorelli/Komarov.

 

[thewave]

I would prefer Kessel and Bozak on line 2 w/ 1st PP minutes to limit more their ES time. Would target l1-l4 @ 18, 18, 14, 10m

 

[The Blue Devil]

You want to know what, he has improved offensively, looks much better in the O-zone, solid on the dot etc. But I'm getting sick and tired of hearing about his '2-way game' or his 'defensive game'. Do people ignore how he's been man-handled by all of the good team's best players? He's one of the reasons why we get trapped in the D-zone so often, the guy got torn apart by David freakin Krejci just this past weekend. He(Krejci) is the definition of an average to above average 2-way player and he made Bozak look like a punk. This is where a lot of the criticism comes from, his over-rated 'defensive' game.

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

You want to know what, he has improved offensively, looks much better in the O-zone, solid on the dot etc. But I'm getting sick and tired of hearing about his '2-way game' or his 'defensive game'. Do people ignore how he's been man-handled by all of the good team's best players? He's one of the reasons why we get trapped in the D-zone so often, the guy got torn apart by David freakin Krejci just this past weekend. He(Krejci) is the definition of an average to above average 2-way player and he made Bozak look like a punk. This is where a lot of the criticism comes from, his over-rated 'defensive' game.

I don't know a lot of his criticism seems to stem from the same few posters being extremely upset he's in Kadri's way. The guy has a decent contract, he definitely benefits from Kessel offensively but I think he also suffers defensively. I think a good stint away from Kessel will do a lot to silence his more vocal critics.

 

[Trapper]

And very good at shootouts. And can play on both the PK and the PP.

Bozak is the only player the Leafs have signed/resigned to a raise who's play actually got better as a result of the money/contract increase.
Kessel/Phaneuf didn't get better from their last contract to this one.
Bozak however jumped from 1 million whatever/year with a .61 points/game to a 4 million/year with .84 points/game.

 

[The Blue Devil]

I don't know a lot of his criticism seems to stem from the same few posters being extremely upset he's in Kadri's way. The guy has a decent contract, he definitely benefits from Kessel offensively but I think he also suffers defensively. I think a good stint away from Kessel will do a lot to silence his more vocal critics.

While Kessel may not be the greatest defensive player, it's no excuse as to why Bozak is always being out-matched in puck battles on a consistent basis.

 

[HellasLEAF]

The problem with Bozak is that he is Bozak and not, oh I dunno, Kopitar say.

Bozak is a fine hockey player. That's about it.

 

[theIceWookie]

People just rack on him probably because hes not flashy. Seriously, look at the leaf players that people on this board love, Kessel, Kadri, Gardiner, Nylander. All guys that are flash and thats it. Bozaks just a hard working NHLer but because hes not making these incredible plays or dekes he seems to be considered trash among these boards. I feel like leaf fans would ***** about RoR if he was on our team.

ROR is ridiculous overrated, so I probably would have issues with him.

But I'll say Bozak is making a believer of me.