With Connor McDavid on the shelf for at least seven weeks, the Edmonton Oilers will possibly look to make a move to address their newest hole at the center position. Edmonton’s first order of business was moving Leon Draisaitl back to the center ice position, but that could change if the offense loses its fire power yet again.
If Draisaitl can’t handle the move to center, Edmonton will need to look for another option at the position, likely one via trade. We don’t know many names on the trading block right now, but we do know one for sure, Toronto’s Tyler Bozak.
What’s The Rumor:
Over the summer, many people in the Toronto and National media speculated that Bozak was on the block. The Fourth Period chronicled that back in September in this piece, and the rumors certainly haven’t died down on twitter since the season began.
Bozak has two years left on his contract and earns $4.2 million per on the cap in each of those seasons.
The Boxcars:
Tyler Bozak is not an elite offensive player, he wouldn’t come close to filling the shoes of McDavid in terms of his point production. McDavid was at a point-per-game clip before his injury, while Bozak is usually about a .5 point-per-game player a year.
This year, through eight games, Bozak has registered four points. In 82 tilts a year ago he had 49 points, while he scored 49 points in 58 games during the 2013-14 season.
The Lowdown:
Bozak has played with skill before and actually had success. That dynamite 2013-14 season came playing with Phil Kessel, a guy he had a lot of success with during his Maple Leaf years. James Van Riemsdyk is another guy who Bozak has played a lot with over the years, another skilled player.
Bozak has the ability to play with skilled players, which is extremely valuable. He won’t be a driver, but he’s a guy that can move the puck to the snipers. That was what McDavid was doing for Yakupov in the early days of this season.
The Scouting Report:
As per usual, I’ve consulted The Hockey News with their scouting report on the player. You can read the full piece here.
Assets: Skates well and also boasts good offensive instincts. Can at times make things happen on his own. Can also contribute on special teams and with the game on the line. Flaws: Needs to bulk up more in order to maximize his game at the NHL level. Must also work on his game-to-game consistency, especially in the production department. Career Potential: Skilled two-way center.
A good skater with offensive instincts will be needed with McDavid out of the lineup, but another small and inconsistent player might not be what Peter Chiarelli is looking for. The ability to contribute on special teams is a massive plus however, Edmonton is going to miss that with McDavid.
The HERO Chart:
Bozak obviously sees a ton of minutes, first line minutes to be exact according to this chart. We can also take notice that his points and primary assists are in the range of a 2nd line player, while his goal scoring ability clearly shows as a weakness. He’s a puck distributor if you will.
His possession numbers, by view of this chart, appear to be a mixed bag.
Final Verdict:
A lot of people think Tyler Bozak is a bad player, but I’m not one of them. I don’t think he’s a top-line player by any stretch of the imagination, but I believe in the right situation that he can be a serviceable offensive player who distributes the puck and sees time on the power-play.
In Toronto, he’s been thrust into a role that he isn’t fit for. On a team like Edmonton, who has a number one center in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Bozak can settle into a different role, a role he is better suited for.
Does he make sense for Edmonton? Well to an extent he does as a player. The hindrance? His contract is a little rich and runs for two more seasons. That could be a problem.
As for a price in a trade, would a second round pick and a bad contract, say Teddy Purcell, get the deal done? One would think it would.
Would I trade for Bozak? I like the player, but the ask and his contract make me lean towards no.
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