Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Deadline Countdown: Tyler Bozak

The trade deadline is now four weeks away, and with the All-Star weekend behind everyone, expect the rumor mill to heat up quickly. The Toronto Maple Leafs are thought to be a team who will be active participants as they look to trade away some of their short term contracts for prospects and picks. As we countdown the days to the deadline, there will be plenty of print dedicated to the rumors surrounding the Maple Leafs.

Tyler Bozak is not one of the many Toronto Maple Leafs coming to the end of their contract. Speculation has gone back and forth regarding whether Bozak will be, or even can be traded. One thing is certain, and that is Tyler Bozak is one of the most difficult Toronto players to figure out value for.

For several seasons, fans have been somewhat sour on Bozak because of his position of being a first line center for most of his days in Toronto. During the Phil Kessel years, the cry for a proper center to feed the goal scoring winger was loud and clear. Unfortunately, first line centers are not easy to acquire.

While Bozak does not measure up to being a first line center, it is not his fault. He was put in that position by the coaching staffs who he played for. He was given that role because of lack of options, and he performed better than the rest of the options.

While he is not a number one, he is viewed as a solid second line center in some eyes, and viewed by others as a third even fourth liner. These conflicting viewpoints have made gauging Bozak’s potential value on the trade market more difficult.

What Bozak does bring is a guy who does several things well, but none of them (except one) great. He is the type of player every championship caliber team has as a guy who does his job and makes contributions however he can.

Bozak is a solid player on faceoffs. He has good skating ability and above average speed. He is not physical, but he is not afraid to get to the net. His shot is average as far as power goes, but is reasonably accurate. The only skill that stands out for Bozak is his ability in a shoot out.

There are two things about Bozak that should aid his value and garner interest in him from other teams. His play without Kessel on his wing has been as good (and in some cases better) compared to his years with Kessel. This shows that his numbers do not solely depend on having an elite winger by his side.

This brings us to the second aid in his value, which is work ethic. Bozak went undrafted and came to the league with minimal expectations about his chances of success. He is not blessed with great talent or physical abilities. He has earned his opportunity to play in the NHL based on his efforts to try and reach his ceiling as a player. While that has not translated in to an elite or top player, it has made him a solid contributor who can be effective in the little things that do not always show up on the stat sheet.

These little things is why there will be interest in Bozak. Every trade deadline we see players who are equivalent to Bozak in terms of production bring back a good haul for the team who trades them. Bozak’s salary may be a hang up for some teams who are up against the cap, but it is a reasonable salary for most teams to take on.

Next: Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Partners: Dancing With the Devils

Tyler Bozak can help a playoff team gain depth up the middle which is key to playoff success. If teams come calling you would have to think Toronto can at the very least get a second rounder for him. Whether that would be enough for the Toronto Maple Leafs to let him go is anyone’s guess.