From: Sportsnet.ca
The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the race to sign highly-touted free agent forward Tyler Bozak from the University of Denver Pioneers, sources tell Sportsnet.
A strong two-way centre, Bozak has been generating league-wide interest since his freshman year with as many as 25 NHL teams trying to get his name on a contract.
While he did miss a large chunk of this past season due to a knee injury, Bozak finished with eight goals and 15 assists in 19 games. He did return for the NCAA Tournament, recording a goal and an assist as his top-seeded Pioneers were upset 4-2 by Miami.
Passed over by NHL teams in his draft year, the 23-year-old Regina native is subject to entry level contract limits.
A strong two-way centre, Bozak has been generating league-wide interest since his freshman year with as many as 25 NHL teams trying to get his name on a contract.
While he did miss a large chunk of this past season due to a knee injury, Bozak finished with eight goals and 15 assists in 19 games. He did return for the NCAA Tournament, recording a goal and an assist as his top-seeded Pioneers were upset 4-2 by Miami.
Passed over by NHL teams in his draft year, the 23-year-old Regina native is subject to entry level contract limits.
17 comments:
Avs. Fail.
At least they're keeping a constant theme this year: Blowing it.
Good luck to you, Bozak!!
It was a pleasure to watch Bozak play. He always gave 110% effort.
You will be missed!
Big celebration in Regina this weekend, I'm sure.
DU will certainly reap benefits from having a key player on Canada's most televised and popular team.
Damn. I was really hoping that the Avs could sneak up and grab him.
Good for Tyler though. He'll surely be more appreciated in Toronto than he would have been by Avs fans, half of whom probably have no idea at this point in time who he is.
Congrats & tear it up in the NHL. It will be interesting to see how Boz thrives under Ron Wilson. Hope he has a better experience than Marlow did [another SK (Aneriod) boy].
Good luck to ya Bozak... I'll be watching your pro career with great interest.
Ya the Avs failed like they usually do.
Brian Burke strikes again! DU should offer him a job as a recruiter!
The Leafs are using the video from the 7th Samurai as Bozak's highight on their web site at NHL.com. :-)
The Leafs are getting a gem. I hope they can figure out a way to get that franchise back on track.
Bozak will be greatly missed by this DU fan.
Give the Avs a break. They were one of the final three on his short list. Only one team was going to get him.
DG
Another article. I haven't seen this one on the site yet.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/25002-THNcom-Blog-Leafs-find-gem-in-Bozak-but-what-of-Gilroy.html
Give the Avs a break? You're kidding right?
They deserve all sorts of bullsh for forgetting that Sakic was going to get older and to plan accordingly.
I had a baaaaad feeling that the salary cap would be a mystery to the "yankees" of the NHL.
There are far worse things you can criticize the Avs for this season, this isn't one of them. You can't put a gun to the kid's head.
If they didn't show any interest at all, that's one thing, but they were in it until the end.
The Yankees of the NHL when teams like Detroit and the Rangers had higher payrolls? Come on now.
Just to add:
Yeah the Avs screwed up and were ill prepared coming out of the lockout. Trust me, I'm one of the Avs biggest critics, but you can't get on them regarding Bozak.
Ill prepared?? The Avs have tons of problems, and preparation isn't one of them. Their management is lousy, personnel decisions, drafting, player development...the list goes on and on.
Doesn't seem to me like it's the Avs' fault they missed out. If I were him, based on the situations of some of the teams he was considering, I probably would have picked Toronto too.
It goes waaaaay beyond Bozak .... cmon now.
Total management fail since the lockout. They got lucky in getting Stastny. If he had been thinking he'd be playing for the Canadians right now.
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