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The David Clarkson, Tyler Bozak, and Dave Bolland Causality Blog

February 5, 2014, 10:45 AM ET [227 Comments]
Colin Dambrauskas
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Follow Colin on Twitter!: @ColinDJD

How, exactly, certain players affect team play when they are in or out of the lineup has been the main focus of conversations of late for those involved with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With injuries and suspensions to three players who were deemed to be important to the Leafs success this year, Toronto has unfortunately not had much time with David Clarkson, Tyler Bozak, and Dave Bolland all in the lineup at the same time. As such, fans started to wonder just how much each player has impacted the team on an individual level.

I suppose this conversation all started in the preseason when newly acquired David Clarkson was suspended 10 games for leaving the bench to join an on ice brawl. For those of you who recall, I wrote a blog on this story shortly after it transpired, and explained how I felt that what Clarkson did, despite receiving a suspension, was something that this team has missed in quite some time.

In fact, it was rather apparent by the reaction and comments from the dressing room after. Clarkson had made an early impact and his line-mates appreciated the feeling of “I’ve got your back”. While I was able to comment on the thoughts and opinions of the players at the time, those who made the most noise were the fans.

After returning to the lineup from his suspension, Clarkson would receive another two game suspension and also nine games due to injury. What has seemingly been the most collective outcry from fans was “Uh-oh…did we overpay and waste cap space for this guy?”

Having missed the start of the regular season, upon Clarkson’s return it was quite clear that he was trying to make up for his absence. He wanted to make a statement and for me, he looked like he was trying to do too much. Prior to his most recent injury, however, it appeared that David simplified his game and was improving on his positional play and was much more effective while in the lineup than previous games displayed. That said, Clarkson is once again healthy, has now played 37 games for the Buds and has recorded a total of nine points while registering an average of 16 minutes per game.

So where do things currently stand? How has Clarkson faired so far now that he’s played just about half an NHL season with the Leafs? For those of you who were among the fans who were happy when Clarkson missed his most recent series of games, the following team record should only further your reservations against the player. The Leafs, with Clarkson in the lineup hold a record of 16-16-5, while without Clarkson they hold a record of 14-6-1.

To break that down even further and more simplified, with Clarkson in the lineup the Leafs have managed 37 of a possible 74 points (50%), and without him tallied a total 29 of a possible 42 points (69%).

While I personally find it rather difficult for someone to state or prove that one player on a team of 18 could be single handedly responsible for influencing a teams record(outside of a franchise player), the above numbers are certainly not painting a pretty picture. That said, I am going on record to say that it is still far too early for Leafs nation to be so judgmental toward David Clarkson, all things considered.

I feel that the expectations placed on Clarkson so early in his career as a Leaf were simply too difficult for a player of his ilk to live up to. Furthermore, the player is constantly being scrutinized for the cap hit and contract he signed to join the Leafs; a contract might I add which was necessary at the time to acquire one of the most coveted free agents of 2013.

Additionally, the notion held by a few too many fans that this player can be expected to score in the 30 goal range is simply obscured. While Clarkson may possess the ability to score in that range, he was not acquired by Toronto primarily for his goal scoring abilities.

Some will argue that a player being paid $5.25M per year should be expected to score goals, though I believe what continues to be overlooked is that while this price is currently high for a player like Clarkson, it was signed by GM Dave Nonis knowing that the NHL cap was rising.

What I am hoping to express to fans about Clarkson is nothing more than patience. Known to be one of the most impatient fan bases in the sport, Toronto needs to give time for a player like Clarkson to not only establish himself with his new line-mates and coaches, but also getting some consistency in his game – starting with his health, of course.

Another interesting player whose name comes up frequently in Leafs nation is that of Tyler Bozak. Similar to the point made with Clarkson, Bozak was having to live up to crazy expectations from Toronto fans because he was playing alongside Phil Kessel on the first line. Despite being one of the most productive lines in the NHL, Bozak was often not credited for any success which he may have had a part in.

This year, however, it appears that Bozak is one player who fans have warmed up to. He has been one of the Leafs most consistent players and when he recently missed 12 games, the Leafs first line struggled. Upon his return, Bozak was scoring goals, winning faceoffs, and most importantly the Leafs were once again winning games.

Without Bozak in the lineup, Toronto posted a 10-13-1 record (44%) and since his return has posted an 11-7-1 record (60%). Not a large increase here, but there should be no doubt that the Leafs are a stronger team with Bozak in the lineup, than without.

Last but not least we have Dave Bolland. Another player acquired in the past year by the Leafs, Bolland didn’t necessarily have high expectations placed upon him when he came over from the former Stanley Cup Champs. Used as one of the Hawks bottom six centers, Bolland was brought in by the Leafs organization for extra veteran and center depth as they continue to try and improve upon their playoff chances.

Since being acquired, Dave played 15 games with the Leafs before lacerating his tendon and being sidelined. The games which Bolland has taken part in so far this year held the Leafs to a 10-5-0 record (67%). His presence on the ice seemed to calm players around him and it was clear that he immediately took on an important role with his new team.

There is unfortunately not a large enough sample size to make a proper assessment of Bolland’s value to the team as it stands, however having watched his first 15 games with Toronto, he seemed to play right into Carlyle’s system. Whether Bolland has a large enough impact in or out of the lineup is still very debatable, because so far we have seen the team streak both ways in his absence. Time will only tell with this player, I suppose.

I will say this though - it would be interesting to see how Toronto could play with all three of the above mentioned players in the lineup for more than a game or two.


That’s all for this week, thanks for reading!
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