Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Reasons Why Bozak Will Re-sign

Toronto Maple Leafs Tyler Bozak will hit free agency on July 1st, here are three reasons why he will stay in Toronto.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have three pending UFA’s on their roster. A lot of people thought Tyler Bozak would not make the end of the trade deadline like it has been for years. It’s hard to call it a surprise when he once again remained in Toronto.

With JVR having a career-year, much of the attention and focus on the possibilities have been on re-signing him. But what if Tyler Bozak would stay? Could that be possible, that the most rumored man to be traded stays?

Yes. It’s possible that Tyler Bozak will still be a Toronto Maple Leafs next season. I dare say it’s not even unlikely, simply because of these three reasons.

Milestones

For someone who was never drafted into the NHL, Tyler Bozak has gathered quite the resumé. Playing 591 regular season games, tallying 364 points. Not too shabby, Tyler. The 364 points consist out of 136 goals and 228 assists.

So many milestones within reach for Bozak, to reach as a Toronto Maple Leafs. 600 NHL career games, 150 NHL career goals, and 250 career assist. I can’t imagine Bozak reaching these amazing milestones as anything other than a Toronto Maple Leaf.

The greatest milestone, of course, would be leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs with a beautiful ring on his finger. No, I’m not referring to his wedding ring, of course. I mean the one you get after hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Not so bad, after all

Tyler Bozak has endured a lot of criticism during his time as a Toronto Maple Leaf. Being presented and played at the top-line centre for years, that’s not much of a surprise. But we can’t blame Bozak for faulty management or accepting an overpriced contract, what would you do?

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This season, Bozak has played in a more suitable role as a third-line centre. Despite the criticisms he received like always, he has done a really good job. So far he has gathered 42 points in 78 games, a Corsi-For percentage of 53% and a Shots-For percentage of 50.5% (stats 5v5). The latter two being career-highs.

These numbers are really good, so why wouldn’t we want him to stay? If he can bring this for a couple more years to come, the Toronto Maple Leafs are settled down the middle.

Of course, playing with a talented player like James van Riemsdyk, his long-time linemate, helps gathering points. But the Toronto Maple Leafs are stocked with talented wingers. When JvR (most likely) leaves, there are plenty that has enough talent to fill that slot.

Longlife fan

Tyler Bozak grew up a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. When he signed and played his first game for the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 13, 2009, that was a dream coming true. When you start playing for your favorite team growing up, it won’t get better than that, why spoil that?

He’s proud to wear the crest and he wouldn’t mind at all wearing it for some more years to come. His mission with the Toronto Maple Leafs isn’t finished yet.

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More importantly, family comes first. At the end of every day, hockey is just a sport. It may be more than just a game, but it remains a sport. In Tyler Bozak decision the happiness of his family will wager in. It seems his family is happy in Toronto, which could be a reason for Tyler Bozak to sign a hometown discount, making him affordable and worth to sign.

Thanks for reading and please share your thoughts!

All stats from naturalstattrick.