Tyler Bozak, can we win with him as our #1 center.

[diceman934]

Can we win with Bozak as our number 1 center. Drew Doughty stated "This is how Drew Doughty, the best player on the best defensive team in the league, described the Leafs’ first line a while back: “We know they play one-dimensionally out there. They’re gonna look for turnovers at all times, they’re going to cheat to get breakaways. We know exactly what to expect. They’re fast. They bulldoze the net.”

Can we win playing this way next season? I think we need a center who can help maintain possession of the puck and not simply pass it to his line mates at first opportunity. Some one who can go in hard on the forecheck and create turnovers and take checks to make plays. Our top line is to soft.

Should we change JVR to another line? I do not think so.
Should we put Kessel on another line? No he needs first line ice time to help create needed ice time.

That leaves only Bozak, Carlyle likes to play full lines on PP and with Bozak not very good on the PP he needs to be replace. We have a huge need for a big strong center and we have a young #2 center, so it is time to get better in a key position. Bozak needs to go so that we can start improving.

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[cookie]

Can we win with Bozak as our number 1 center. Drew Doughty stated "This is how Drew Doughty, the best player on the best defensive team in the league, described the Leafs’ first line a while back: “We know they play one-dimensionally out there. They’re gonna look for turnovers at all times, they’re going to cheat to get breakaways. We know exactly what to expect. They’re fast. They bulldoze the net.”

Can we win playing this way next season? I think we need a center who can help maintain possession of the puck and not simply pass it to his line mates at first opportunity. Some one who can go in hard on the forecheck and create turnovers and take checks to make plays. Our top line is to soft.

Should we change JVR to another line? I do not think so.
Should we put Kessel on another line? No he needs first line ice time to help create needed ice time.

That leaves only Bozak, Carlyle likes to play full lines on PP and with Bozak not very good on the PP he needs to be replace. We have a huge need for a big strong center and we have a young #2 center, so it is time to get better in a key position. Bozak needs to go so that we can start improving.

Last season, I think Carlyle's mantra was: Keep the line... just match them up against weaker competition. They can do enough damage on the PP and sheltered 5v5 minutes. The Leafs should look to the other 3 lines to lower 5v5 GA.

Top line was the only line last year net positive 5v5 (in terms or GF minus GA) and the Leaf's sv% for when JVR and Kessel were on the ice was about average. Only Bozak had a lower team 5v5 sv% which might mean that prime opportunities were being presented while he was on the ice.

The Leafs lower-line players are all net minus 5v5 (GF minus GA), so if we make the assumption that Carlyle and his strategy are as effective as the league average, those players were playing 5v5 minutes above their capabilities.

Could Carlyle's constant line matching have affected the performance of the other lines just so the Kessel line can be more effective? It might explain our inability to exit the zone and retain pressure in the offensive zone. Blame it all on RC.

 

[Super Mega]

Can we win with Bozak as our number 1 center. Drew Doughty stated "This is how Drew Doughty, the best player on the best defensive team in the league, described the Leafs’ first line a while back: “We know they play one-dimensionally out there. They’re gonna look for turnovers at all times, they’re going to cheat to get breakaways. We know exactly what to expect. They’re fast. They bulldoze the net.â€

Can we win playing this way next season? I think we need a center who can help maintain possession of the puck and not simply pass it to his line mates at first opportunity. Some one who can go in hard on the forecheck and create turnovers and take checks to make plays. Our top line is to soft.

Should we change JVR to another line? I do not think so.
Should we put Kessel on another line? No he needs first line ice time to help create needed ice time.

That leaves only Bozak, Carlyle likes to play full lines on PP and with Bozak not very good on the PP he needs to be replace. We have a huge need for a big strong center and we have a young #2 center, so it is time to get better in a key position. Bozak needs to go so that we can start improving.

Who are targets you think would work?

 

[agropop]

We haven't yet, from our place in the standings to our underlying possession stats and PDO, it's pretty grim.

I think having two physically ineffective drive by artists like Phil and Bozak together will only bring more of the same terrible possession hockey.

Cheat - Hail Mary - Retreat


We need a centre there who can help keep the puck where Phil is dangerous, not where he's useless - running around the Dzone.

Kadri should get his chance, pairing Phil with our best possession centre would seem intuitive enough, the fact that he's a vastly superior distributor is gravy.

 

[rdawg1234]

Well you now have Nylander added to the pool along with Gauthier.

even if we make the playoffs as a low seed this year we could very well add another great C prospect with how deep this next draft is.

I dont think you can win a cup as bozak as your #1 C, but clearly the eastern conference this year just showed a team built on wings can make it to the cup final. The top C on NYR had 57 points(Stepan) and MTL made the conf. finals with a bunch of #2 C's.

 

[ChickenMcNugget]

what we'll get out of this thread

1. The leafs suck
2. Bozak sucks
3. Bozak's the best C we got.
4. Phaneuf sucks
5. #tankformcdavid

 

[Joey Hoser]

No we cannot win with Bozak as our number 1 center. Better cut him and put Holland or Mckegg in there.

 

[Peasy]

No lol, but its not his fault, hes the best we got atm.

Also lol at saying Bozak doesn't forecheck and go into the dirty areas and create turnovers.

 

[HarrisonFord]

Bozak is the ONE guy on that line who plays a great two-way game and you want to take him off that line?

 

[Peasy]

Bozak is the ONE guy on that line who plays a great two-way game and you want to take him off that line?

Offense man, thats all that matters!!!! The more offensive players you have on a line the better they'll do! Who cares about defense!!!!!

 

[agropop]

Moving Bozak off the first line might diminish the stellar defensive results that line has had the last 4-5 years.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Moving Bozak off the first line might diminish the stellar defensive results that line has had the last 4-5 years.

And the solution is to put Kadri or Holland on the top line instead? That'll fix it?

 

[agropop]

And the solution is to put Kadri or Holland on the top line instead? That'll fix it?

No we shouldn't change anything, why mess with success?

 

[Joey Hoser]

No we shouldn't change anything, why mess with success?

Why not try me on the top line?

 

[Holymakinaw]

Would we be a better team with someone like Jonathan Toews as our top-line Centre, and Bozak on the 3rd line? Yes, we would. Is it possible for something like that to happen? It's a tough one.

The only thing I can think of is to offer JVR plus a pick(a 2nd?) for someone like Alexander Barkov.

Who else do we have to offer, who is a 30-goal scoring power forward, who makes only 4.25 million for the next four years that a team like Florida would want? They probably wouldn't go for it, but something like that is the only way we can get a #1C quickly.

Then we'd have our huge, super talented 1st line Centre to play with Kessel.

Or we wait and hope Nylander can become one.

 

[HarrisonFord]

Offense man, thats all that matters!!!! The more offensive players you have on a line the better they'll do! Who cares about defense!!!!!

Exactly. This guy gets it. Bozak is a the perfect complimentary piece for this line. Underrated forecheck (which Kessel doesn't do), great in his own end, and covers up Kessel's lack of board work. Plus, while he's not going to create a whole lot offensively on his own, he's pretty good at finishing every play he's supposed to - it's not like he has stone hands

 

[TheProspector]

If we're going to bring up stupid anecdotes about Drew Doughty, why not mention that the Leafs beat the Kings the night he said that 3-2?

 

[agropop]

Why not try me on the top line?

Or maybe try a centre that we've been developing for several years? Our best offensive centre? Most creative and dynamic? Best possession centre on the team?

What's the worst that can happen? It'd be a terrible defensive line?

It already is.

 

[sommervr]

No the leafs will never win anything with Bozak as 1C

It is not his fault we just need better players

And he is not good defensively and he never has been.

 

[Trapper]

It's not fair to single out Bozak when you need a solid core to have success.
Bozak is a complimentary piece and should be 2nd line C.
The question is are we good enough to win with this core. Actually its a 2 piece core. Bernier could be 3. We need a no. 1 C and a no. 1 D to have a core. No success until thats addressed. Only ups and downs with more downs.
So far other than a 48 game schedule, we aren't even good enough to make the playoffs. And thats with Phaneuf/Kessel.

 

[Hockey Talker29]

Or maybe try a centre that we've been developing for several years? Our best offensive centre? Most creative and dynamic? Best possession centre on the team?

What's the worst that can happen? It'd be a terrible defensive line?

It already is.

I agree completely. Let's see what else works. What we have now is not producing sufficient results.

 

[Daisy Jane]

No lol, but its not his fault, hes the best we got atm.

Also lol at saying Bozak doesn't forecheck and go into the dirty areas and create turnovers.

right?

He - like almost everyone else - is not playing in the right position. And I feel - most people don't like him simply due to the fact that he's playing in the #1 position vs. someone else (ie: Kadri ) and then they'll go offense numbers etc etc etc.


Here is the thing.
I don't think Kadri should be playing on the #1 line. at all. If we had centre depth - id' actually have him on the third line and have him continue to learn and ply his trade (work on faceoffs, etc and work his way up).

I don't think that Bozak should be on the #1 line either, ideally he should be a 2nd line centre (and then whilst Kadri works his way up, Bozak works his way down - or they change depending on the dynamics of the game that night).

So if the question can we win like - a cup - with Bozak as the #1 centre, I think just going by evidence of who he'll have to face in the west? no . if the question is can we win a playoff series (or two/three) with him as the #1 centre - I personally don't see why we couldn't. had he not torn his left? right? triceps (and all of the shoulda coulda wouldas of the last 10 minutes) we would have known, wouldn't we.

the thing is. he's got a 3 years left on a pretty decent deal. and while our centre depth continues to develop I don't see why he can't be a stop gap on any line. Offensively he's good with Kessel (because Kessel makes everything Offensively good). it would be intresting what he'd bring (and it doens't always have to be about points and offense -- just the dynamic that HE brings to the line) to help make the line go.

 

[Dangles McGavin]

Probably not- but just as a note, we beat LA after Doughty said that

It’s hard to pair someone up with Kessel. He needs a defensively strong center, someone who will do all the digging, and can also keep up with him on the rush.

I honestly think that ROR is the perfect center for Kessel. But it’ll never happen.

 

[Dangles McGavin]

But if we ever had a legitimate #1 center, I’d prefer to have two strong lines with the 1C on one and Kessel on the other.

Phil can run offense on his own.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Win the cup? Probably not.

Let's see if we can win a playoffs series. As others have mentioned, its not his fault - he's a good player. Still hoping Kadri can be #1 someday