Tyler Bozak 2010-11 Preview

Tyler Bozak was a highly sought after free agent out of the University of Denver, where he scored 57 points in 60 collegiate games. The Leafs were one of 24 teams involved in the Bozak sweepstakes and ultimately won the right to sign him after offering him the chance to play in the NHL right away.

Bozak impressed with 5 points in 6 preseason games last year, along with a plus-2 rating, before being sent to the Toronto Marlies. An early bout with the H1N1 influenza caused Bozak to lose 10 pounds, which ultimately affected his performance in the AHL. He scored 4 goals and 20 points in 32 games with the Marlies. The 6-foot-1, 195 pound centre notched one assist in an early season call up, before being sent back down to the farm.

When Mikhail Grabovski went down with a wrist injury in early January, Tyler Bozak was given a chance to play a top six role in his place. Producing at a steady rate with 4 points in his first 5 games, Bozak was promoted to first line duties following the Dion Phaneuf trade – that saw Matt Stajan get shipped off to Calgary.

Bozak played the final few months of the season centering Phil Kessel and Nikolai Kulemin. He finished the season with 27 points in 37 games, placing him 11th in NHL rookie scoring. If you pro rate those numbers on an 82-game schedule, Bozak would have scored 59 points and placed first in rookie scoring.

The Leafs are often criticized for their lack of experience at centre, but Bozak committed to gaining muscle in the off season in order to matchup against other top centres in the league. At 24 years old, Bozak also is more mature than most sophomore players, which bodes well for him and his bid to repeat his stellar rookie season. If he starts the season on the same line as Phil Kessel, Bozak can be expected to tally over 20 goals and 30 assists. He will also play on the powerplay and penalty kill for the blue and white.

Undrafted college free agents often turn out to be flops or marginal NHL players (i.e. Christian Hanson), but based on his confidence during his rookie season, Bozak has proven that he can be counted on to play a leading role on the rebuilding Leafs team.

2009-10 Statistics
37 games, 8 goals, 19 assists, 27 points, 6 penalty minutes

2010-11 Prediction
82 games, 22 goals, 36 assists, 58 points, 14 penalty minutes

3 Burning Questions

1 – Is Tyler Bozak the Leafs best suited centre to play with Phil Kessel?

2 – Will Bozak build on his success from last season or suffer from a sophomore slump?

3 – How many points will Bozak score for the Leafs this season?