It was a little under two weeks ago that your favourite correspondents -- yours truly included -- wrote with a straight face that the Maple Leafs were -- at least in the eyes of oddsmakers -- the Stanley Cup favourite.

They hardly seem like that now. Four losses in the five games will do that.

But it's not's just that they've lost. They've been outplayed, massively. The San Jose Sharks looked like they were toying with the Leafs, forcing turnovers, hemming Toronto in its own zone for lengthy stretches.

The best thing about the the Leafs: Frederik Andersen.

The worst: Tyler Bozak.

Certainly Bozak's possession numbers are terrible. They've never really been good, but they've dropped into a chasm this year. And if you can't get your head around the math required to figure out Corsi (Bozak is 46.31 in Corsi-for in 5-on-5 situations), or Fenwick (43.72) then go old-school on plus-minus. Bozak is minus-9 (tied with Mitch Marner for worst on team.)

In fact, Bozak is dangerously close to having the worst minus in Leaf history. He's at minus-92 for his career, just four off Gary Nylund, who played for some really bad teams in the 1980s.

His critics have long said he spent his career along for the ride with two elite wingers, whichever they happened to be: Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk. Van Riemsdyk and Marner.

I've not been among those critics. I've always thought there were subtle parts of his game that were underrated. Hockey sense. Smart passes. Good speed. Face off wins. Enough scoring to justify his place in the lineup. He is perfectly suited to the second scoring unit.

True, he fell into bad habits in the first half of his career. But to me it appeared coach Mike Babcock might be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Babcock said this about Bozak just a few days ago:

"Elite hockey sense. I think Bozie has got way better in the last year and a half, defensively. He's competing way harder away from the puck. He's real good on the power play, he's got elite hockey sense, he's a good passer, he understands the game."

Babcock is not a tough-love guy. He likes to catch his players doing something good. He likes to put them in a position to succeed, even if it means protecting them through favourable line matches and offensive zone starts. This breeds confidence. And he's got a soft spot for veterans.

But Babcock likes to win. And if you're not helping him win, then you're not any good to him. Babcock may be reaching the end of his tether, at least for now, with Bozak.

The veteran was nailed to the bench in the third period against San Jose. Patrick Marleau took over as centre between van Riemsdyk and Marner.

Babcock also spoke the other day, in reference to Kasperi Kapanen and Josh Leivo, about a young player can earn a spot on a Babcock-coached team.

"You've got to take someone's job. That's just the way it is. No one gives it to you, the other guys in front of them, they don't want to give it to them, that's how they're feeding their family."

Leivo had a fantastic game against Carolina. Kapanen didn't play much. Neither is a centre, and the Leafs don't have a great deal of depth at centre. But if Marleau can play a bit of centre -- he used to be a centre, and certainly has the speed for it -- then perhaps it's time to sit Bozak for a few games, and see what Leivo, or Kapanen, can do.

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This is not to say Bozak has hit the end of the line. There could be an injury at play. Or a private matter. Or a kink in his game that practice time will help.

No question the Leafs will be better if Bozak is better. But if this team is a meritocracy, as Babcock has suggested, then there are players that merit a chance to play ahead of Bozak.

GOT A QUESTION? Email me at askkevinmcgran@gmail.com and I'll answer it in Friday's mailbag.