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Toronto Maple Leafs: The Casualties of the Cap Crunch

By David Corcoran

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 9: Zach Hyman #11 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates with the puck against the Winnipeg Jets during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on March 9, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Jets defeated the Maple Leafs 4-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 9: Zach Hyman #11 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates with the puck against the Winnipeg Jets during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on March 9, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Jets defeated the Maple Leafs 4-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO,ON – DECEMBER 19: Tyler Bozak #42 of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO,ON – DECEMBER 19: Tyler Bozak #42 of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Ex Toronto Maple Leafs: Tyler Bozak

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed one of the best undrafted free agents in league history, when Tyler Bozak signed on with the club after his 2008-09 NCAA season.

Bozak would become would of the key players for eight seasons playing in almost 600 games for the franchise and is currently sitting 23rd all the time with 594.

The Regina, Saskatchewan native played through some of the darkest years in Toronto and was typically wrongly casted as the top center on the team when he should have been further down the depth chart but never complained.

During in his Toronto, Bozak would have five 40-point season which was capped off by a 55-point season during the 2016-17 season.  He will be most remember for his overtime winner in Game 3 of the playoff series against the Washington Capitals that same season.

The 2017-18 season would mark the end of Bozak’s run in Toronto as the following July 1 the team signed Tavares.  With Nazem Kadri and Auston Matthews also up the middle, their was not going to be the cap space to allocate to Bozak and he departed in free agency.

The St. Louis Blues would sign Bozak to a three year contract worth $5 Million per season.   At age 32, Bozak would finally get placed in the right role in St. Louis and played primarily on the third line and helped the Blues win the Stanly Cup in his first year with the organization thanks to a 13-point playoff performance in 26 games.

Bozak’s health and age caused a drop off in productivity resulting in just 29 points the following season, followed by just 31 games in the final year of the contract.  After signing on for one more year in St. Louis for the 2021-22 season he retired.

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