ON THE MOVE? 2023 NHL UFA Class- Tyler Bertuzzi

After being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 2013 and spending nearly a decade in the organization, Tyler Bertuzzi was traded to the Boston Bruins at the 2023 Trade Deadline where he played very well putting up four goals and 16 points in 21 games while playing like a “Bruin”.

The 28-year-old is entering his first stint in unrestricted free agency and has been praised for his play as the modern age power forward that will have plenty of teams thirsting over this summer.

Bertuzzi’s health will be a major cause of concern for any interested parties as he was only limited to 50 games this season following an injury after blocking a shot in early October, as well as the fact is that he has not been able to appear in “full” season since the COVID-19 shortened 2019-20 season.

Looking to cash in on a long-term contract one could predict that Bertuzzi will fetch anywhere between $6-8 million per season over 5+ seasons after taking a two-year “prove yourself” bridge deal in 2021. While there should be no shortage of takers, here are some potential destinations for Bertuzzi to land in.

Boston Bruins

The most obvious answer would be Bertuzzi returning to the Bruins after having himself a very impressive playoff series in an unimpressive run cut short at the hands of the Florida Panthers. He was easily one of the most noticeable Bruins players putting up 10 points in seven games and came exactly as advertised, using his size and skill to wreak havoc in front of opposing nets.

His style of play compliments the likes of notable thorns that Bruins fans have grown to love and admire over the years like Brad Marchand, David Krejci and Milan Lucic, as his style of play compliments the makeup of the team, however the biggest hurdle in returning to the Bruins is the salary cap. The Bruins have just a hair under $5 million in current cap space and have both Trent Fredric and Jeremy Swayman as RFA’s, so unless Don Sweeney can find a way to clear up more cap, it might be unlikely to see Bertuzzi return to Boston.

Dallas Stars

For many people, the Dallas Stars slightly underwhelmed in the playoffs, despite making it to a Conference Final. One of the most underrated destinations for Bertuzzi would be in the Lone Star State, and adding a top-six winger of Bertuzzi’s talents could be the factor to push the Stars to glory.

Bertuzzi would be able to slot into a second line winger role alongside the likes of Jamie Benn/Tyler Sequin and young stud Wyatt Johnston giving the Dallas Stars one of the most formidable top-six forwards in the NHL. Bertuzzi was an excellent play driver for both the Red Wings and the Bruins and throwing him into the mix with any of the other top Stars should make that a match made in heaven.

Dallas reportedly pushed hard for Bertuzzi before the 2023 Trade Deadline, according to Jeff Marek of Sportsnet, so it wouldn’t be very surprising to see GM Jim Nill push hard to acquire his services for the long term.

Toronto Maple Leafs

After having one of the most successful regular season/playoff runs in recent Maple Leaf history, big changes have happened in Toronto after firing GM Kyle Dubas and hiring former Flames GM Brad Treliving, it’s very unclear at this point as to what direction this franchise is heading.

The Leafs have several UFA’s including the likes of Alex Kerfoot and Michael Bunting who both shared time in the Leaf’s top-six this past season, so adding a player of Bertuzzi’s calibre might be an option worth looking at. Pairing him alongside the likes of Auston Matthews/Mitch Marner or John Tavares/William Nylander, Bertuzzi would add an extra level of grit and skill that the Leafs can be lacking at times.

Calgary Flames

2022/2023 was extremely underwhelming for the Calgary Flames, after narrowly missing out on a playoff berth, just a year after posting a 111 point season last year. Losing Johnny Gaudreau for free and trading away Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers last summer wasn’t ideal for the Flames but they made the best of it by acquiring Jonathan Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weeger in the Tkachuk trade as well as signing big fish free agent Nazem Kadri to a 7 year deal.

There’s no debate around it the Flames need more of a scoring punch, and after firing hard nose head coach Daryl Sutter, there might be a world where the Flames start to burn red-hot once again, although adding a complimentary piece in the likes of Tyler Bertuzzi, new GM Craig Conroy could start off his tenure in Calgary on a high.

The only problem for the Flames (as well as many teams looking to bring in free agents) is that they are up against the Cap, and would definitely need to shed some salary in order to bring Bertuzzi to Alberta.