Fansided

25 top NHL free agents teams will be dying to sign in 2018

By David Rouben

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 30: James van Riemsdyk #25 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and John Tavares #91 of the New York Islanders battle for the puck during their game at the Barclays Center on October 30, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 30: James van Riemsdyk #25 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and John Tavares #91 of the New York Islanders battle for the puck during their game at the Barclays Center on October 30, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – APRIL 23: Tyler Bozak #42 of the Toronto Maple Leafs returns to the locker room at an NHL game against the Boston Bruins in Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Air Canada Centre on April 23, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – APRIL 23: Tyler Bozak #42 of the Toronto Maple Leafs returns to the locker room at an NHL game against the Boston Bruins in Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Air Canada Centre on April 23, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images) /

22. Tyler Bozak

The Toronto Maple Leafs have three pending unrestricted free agents, but the one that everybody has their sights set on is James van Riemsdyk. But what about his center, Tyler Bozak, who has practically been attached to van Riemsdyk’s hip ever since he arrived in Toronto?

While van Riemsdyk had a career season across the board, the same can’t be said about Bozak, who put up his lowest goal tally since his rookie season while averaging the fewest minutes of his career. In the playoffs, he outscored the likes of William Nylander and Auston Matthews, although nobody would argue having him over the latter two.

Why he’s in demand: Although it was a difficult season for Bozak, he is still a valuable commodity. Not only can he be a crucial depth center on a playoff team, he can log minutes on both the powernplay and penalty kill. He’s also a shootout specialist, and those extra points can add up at the end of the season. While he needs a reliable goalscorer, like Phil Kessel or van Riemsdyk, on his wing in order to be productive, he can still sell himself as a dependable two-way center.

Teams with the best chance to sign him: Whether or not the Leafs re-sign Bozak will depend on how successful they are in their pursuit of John Tavares. Even if they land the big fish, they should still bring back Bozak to act as their fourth-line center instead of using a second-round pick on one at the deadline.

If he’s not comfortable playing in that role, the Devils would be wise to go after him. They need depth at center beyond Nico Hischier and could use Bozak to bolster their special teams.

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