The Apologist
Apologizing for Leaf garbage since 1979
He is currently also 191st in SOG for forwards and 81st in scoring. With all the minutes he burns it's seems unlikely they will need a stud to match his output. The numbers don't lie. He is watching his wingers create, rather than participating in the attack. His lack of shooting means no deflections or rebounds, and any D man covering him knows he is more likely to hang onto the puck rather than get a shot away. His lack of assists even with sniping line mates shows he is not efficient at using his wingers.
Tyler is a good athlete who skates well, hits a bit, and does very well on face-offs but he is choking that top line. 191st in shots man! Doesn't that say all that needs to be said? What is the upside of a player that won't shoot? How many successful top line forwards aren't in the top 150 in SOG? He is a third line player used out of position because of lack of other options.
They seem committed to keeping him, but not sure if they are committed to keeping him with Kessel. I hope they are at least looking.
You realize 81st in scoring is top 10% in the NHL right?