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Bozak's Future

Chev-boyar-sky said:
I wouldn't have a huge issue with 4-4.5M depending on the term. If it was more than 5 years it would be a problem, but the guy can actually score.

Scored 30 last year and was on pace for 26 this year. He'll break down eventually (though he's a fair bit bigger than say Tucker was), but he provides hitting/fighting and can play the game quite well. It would also be nice to have a guy who can draw the attention of the other team a la Tucker to open up more space for Lupul/Kessel/JVR/Kadri.

I really hope we sign him to a good contract and we get to enjoy his brand of hockey.
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He really strikes me as the next Jason Blake/Ville Leino - and, at least, Blake had more than a couple seasons for a track record. I really don't like the way he practically disappeared in the 2nd half of the season - especially when the Devils really needed him to step up with Kovalchuk out. He wasn't particularly effective in putting the puck in the net in the Devils' playoff run in 2012 - 3 goals in 24 games, and only 1 goal and 4 points in the final 2 rounds. I don't give that kind of money to someone who can't be counted on when the pressure is on like that. On top of that, his style of play can be just as much a liability as it is an asset. He took 19 minor penalties this season (tied for 19th most in the league) and 29 last season (tied for 28th most in the league). While I'm sure a number of these were coincidental, I'm fairly certain the majority of them were not. He's not a $4M+ guy.
 
I would have a huge issue if the Leafs were to give Clarkson 4 million a season.

He has only had 2 seasons in the positive on a very responsible defensive team. He has never topped 46 points. He was on pace for 40pts or so this year, but that's if you don't take into account that he scored 10 of his 15 goals in the first 14 games of the season. If you look at his last 34 games of the season, he only had 14 points. That's horrible.

Add to that his horrible playoff performances(14 points in 44 games) and I'd take a huge flyer on the guy.
 
Clarkson is supremely overrated and will get paid like it. Yes he's a strong, physical winger who can chip in but he's only ever had 1.5 decent seasons offensively (I'm being very generous with this past season too) and he doesn't kill penalties AT ALL. Hopefully the Leafs come to the same assessment and don't waste money on the guy, as there's absolutely no way he gets less than $4 million as a free agent.
 
Rebel_1812 said:
Do you expect every player to take a huge discount or only certain ones?
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I expect players to be paid based on their actual contributions, their position on the depth chart and their track record in the regular season, playoffs, when called upon to step up, etc.. That makes Clarkson a $3M-$3.5M player, as far as I'm concerned.
 
Rebel_1812 said:
some of you have responded that letting bozak walk and having kadri and grabbo as the top 2 centers is paper thin.  How did bozak improve our center situation?  He doesn't put up many points despite playing with our best player.  Nor is he defensively, or physically dominant.  By all accounts he is a mediocre player playing with great wingers.  We already overpaid grabbo, why not put him in that spot and see what he can do.  Kadri was basically the 2nd center this year anyway.  This way we will also have some money available if a really good center does become available.
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This is a interesting article on Bozak and how Kessel scores more when NOT playing with him then when he does. With this kind of look into his actual impact i cannot justify giving him anywhere near 4-5 mill per season. Thats just lunacy. I would hope that nonis would go with the youth and look elsewhere for a trade that makes up better then to overpay for him or ribero/roy etc

http://theleafsnation.com/2013/5/17/why-tyler-bozak-should-have-played-his-last-game-as-a-leaf
 
Floats like a Kadri said:
Rebel_1812 said:
some of you have responded that letting bozak walk and having kadri and grabbo as the top 2 centers is paper thin.  How did bozak improve our center situation?  He doesn't put up many points despite playing with our best player.  Nor is he defensively, or physically dominant.  By all accounts he is a mediocre player playing with great wingers.  We already overpaid grabbo, why not put him in that spot and see what he can do.  Kadri was basically the 2nd center this year anyway.  This way we will also have some money available if a really good center does become available.
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This is a interesting article on Bozak and how Kessel scores more when NOT playing with him then when he does. With this kind of look into his actual impact i cannot justify giving him anywhere near 4-5 mill per season. Thats just lunacy. I would hope that nonis would go with the youth and look elsewhere for a trade that makes up better then to overpay for him or ribero/roy etc

http://theleafsnation.com/2013/5/17/why-tyler-bozak-should-have-played-his-last-game-as-a-leaf
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http://theleafsnation.com/2013/5/21/nozak-the-chemistry-chronicles

This is even better analysis, which basicaly says that as far as perceived natural chemistry between Kessel and Bozak goes the reality is somewhat different. While Bozak needs to play with Kessel to produce, Kessel does not need Bozak to put up great numbers at all.
 
Not sure how well Bozak's side is sourced, but apparently it's 5-5.5m he's looking for.

http://www.thefourthperiod.com/news/tor130525.html

A Stajan cap hit ($3.5m) would be tolerable, except that signing him at all means RC would probably keep him on the top line.
 
drummond said:
Floats like a Kadri said:
Rebel_1812 said:
some of you have responded that letting bozak walk and having kadri and grabbo as the top 2 centers is paper thin.  How did bozak improve our center situation?  He doesn't put up many points despite playing with our best player.  Nor is he defensively, or physically dominant.  By all accounts he is a mediocre player playing with great wingers.  We already overpaid grabbo, why not put him in that spot and see what he can do.  Kadri was basically the 2nd center this year anyway.  This way we will also have some money available if a really good center does become available.
Click to expand...

This is a interesting article on Bozak and how Kessel scores more when NOT playing with him then when he does. With this kind of look into his actual impact i cannot justify giving him anywhere near 4-5 mill per season. Thats just lunacy. I would hope that nonis would go with the youth and look elsewhere for a trade that makes up better then to overpay for him or ribero/roy etc

http://theleafsnation.com/2013/5/17/why-tyler-bozak-should-have-played-his-last-game-as-a-leaf
Click to expand...

http://theleafsnation.com/2013/5/21/nozak-the-chemistry-chronicles

This is even better analysis, which basicaly says that as far as perceived natural chemistry between Kessel and Bozak goes the reality is somewhat different. While Bozak needs to play with Kessel to produce, Kessel does not need Bozak to put up great numbers at all.
Click to expand...

I'm sure they're aware of it, but can someone get copies of all this in the hands of the Leafs front office staff ASAP.
 
Maple Leafs Hot Stove has their Bozak review up:

http://mapleleafshotstove.com/2013/05/29/2012-13-player-review-tyler-bozak/
 
Kadri was spotted really well by Carlyle.  Grabs has lost his grip.  Not saying Bozak is a true #1, but what are your options?  Funny if they gave him big bucks and Kessel bolted.
 
moon111 said:
Kadri was spotted really well by Carlyle.  Grabs has lost his grip.  Not saying Bozak is a true #1, but what are your options?  Funny if they gave him big bucks and Kessel bolted.
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1. Avoid the last nightmare scenario by letting Bozak walk.
2. Play Grabbo like you pay Grabbo. Buy him out next summer if he doesn't rebound.
3. Use 1/3 to 2/3rds of Bozak's asking price to sign Boyd Gordon to play on the shutdown line.
4. Hope Kadri's game matures so he needn't play the most sheltered of minutes. 
5. Play Colburne as the sheltered top-nine center.

With the Komi buyout, that'd leave you with about $10m find another top-4 defenseman, someone to replace MacArthur (if he's not wanted back), and give Kessel the raise he's got coming... And, I guess, re-sign Phaneuf at about what he's making.
 
Phaneuf and Kessel are signed through next year and the cap should go up plenty after that, no worries there I think.
 
mr grieves said:
Not sure how well Bozak's side is sourced, but apparently it's 5-5.5m he's looking for.

http://www.thefourthperiod.com/news/tor130525.html

A Stajan cap hit ($3.5m) would be tolerable, except that signing him at all means RC would probably keep him on the top line.
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That's an ungodly amount for anyone to pay Bozak.

He's got a nice paycheque coming his way, but if Bozak signs for over $5m he's going to be an utter disappointment for his new team.
 
mr grieves said:
1. Avoid the last nightmare scenario by letting Bozak walk.
2. Play Grabbo like you pay Grabbo. Buy him out next summer if he doesn't rebound.
3. Use 1/3 to 2/3rds of Bozak's asking price to sign Boyd Gordon to play on the shutdown line.
4. Hope Kadri's game matures so he needn't play the most sheltered of minutes. 
5. Play Colburne as the sheltered top-nine center.
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Well, and give me some latitude on this, but isn't that needlessly risky? If we can assume that Bozak would re-sign for 4 years/20 million and either no or a limited NTC then what's the upside in letting him walk? All you're doing is losing an asset.

If, however, you keep Bozak you have an insurance policy in case Grabo doesn't rebound or Kadri can't take another step towards well-roundedness and he can be traded if the best possible scenario plays out where Grabo rebounds, Kadri steps up and Colborne looks ready. The only downside there is if somehow between now and when that all sorted itself out Bozak became untradeable but A) that's fairly unlikely and B) even if it did happen you could use a compliance buy-out on him.

Letting Bozak walk for nothing seems like a waste of an opportunity with no real gain.
 
mr grieves said:
Maple Leafs Hot Stove has their Bozak review up:

http://mapleleafshotstove.com/2013/05/29/2012-13-player-review-tyler-bozak/
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Garbage.  There's way better and fairer analysis on here.
 
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