The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Panthers tonight. With or Without Tyler Bozak.
As is the norm, teams hold a skate on the day of the game. Due to Tyler Bozak missing this skate, the rumours of an impending trade started going crazy.
Have the Leafs traded their long time centre? Is Bozak just sick, nursing an injury or enjoying a morning sleeping in? Who knows? (Hint: Mark Masters Knows!).
This is the best part of the NHL trade deadline: everything that happens spawns four million rumours. The thing about Bozak, however, is that they are sensible.
The Leafs can always replace Bozak with William Nylander, Leo Komarov or Patrick Marleau, not to mention Miro Aaltonnen or an outside acquisition. The Leafs are bad defensively and Bozak himself is their worst defensive centre. So it makes sense on that level.
Additionally, Bozak makes $4.5 million against the cap. If the Leafs were interested in making a big acquisition, moving Bozak’s salary off the books would be a logical first step.
Bozak also happens to be a pending unrestricted free-agent. If the Leafs feel they have an in house replacement, picking up an asset for him is also logical.
But then Again…
Despite his deficiencies defensively, Bozak remains a solid scorer. He is definitely better than most team’s third lines and is a bit of luxary to have. He is especially solid on the power-play where he’s put up numbers equal to, or greater than, Auston Matthews going on two years now.
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I do not think the Leafs would move Bozak at this time unless they had a very good trade in the works. The fact is, there was an opportunity earlier in the season to move Nylander to centre and it lasted only a game or two. If the Toronto Maple Leafs were interested in doing that move in-season, then they already would have done it – especially considering they are so far ahead of Florida but way behind Boston, and thus locked into 3rd in the Atlantic. Go back 15 games and that was the time to experiment.
If I had to guess, I’d say Tyler Bozak was just taking some time with sickness or an injury. I highly doubt he has been traded. Then again, I have been wrong approximately one-thousand, five hundred and eleven times before. And that’s without even counting technicalities.
I’ve said, on multiple occasions, that I think Tyler Bozak has played his last game as a Leaf, and he always gets brought back. I’m not the biggest Bozak fan, but he’s alright. Through attrition, he has become around my tenth favorite Leaf. Well, top 15.
I bet you didn’t know Bozak is sitting 24th all-time in Leafs scoring. Yowzer.
I can’t wait to see how this plays out.
Breaking Update!
Per Babcock, Bozak is in tonight ... just maintenance this morning
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) February 20, 2018
Bozak is in after-all! Who knew? The thing is though, for about an hour there, it was pretty fun!
Next: The Enemy's Insight: Volume 3
I maintain that hockey trade rumour season is the best time of year to be an NHL fan. Look for Bozak to be moving up that list. Just 15 points needed to catch Ron “Rod” Stewart. Who, muchlike Bozak, is forever young.
Stats from Quanthockey.com