The Chicago Blackhawks had one in every of their busiest offseasons in latest historical past, signing a number of veteran NHL gamers and indicating to its followers and those that cowl the workforce that they weren’t going to accept one other season close to the underside of the standings in 2024-25.
Associated: Meet the New Blackhawks: Tyler Bertuzzi
A kind of signings was ahead Tyler Bertuzzi, who signed a four-year, $22 million deal price $5.5 million per season. He most just lately performed for the Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring 21 targets and 22 assists for 43 factors in 80 regular-season video games in 2023-24.
Bertuzzi will flip 30 subsequent February, and whereas there’s a case his most efficient seasons are behind him, I need to have a look at totally different factors in his profession and see how the pesky winger may very well be a significant component within the Blackhawks’ quest to return to glory.
A Fan Favourite for the Pink Wings
Drafted by the Detroit Pink Wings within the second spherical of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Bertuzzi can be a pressure in junior hockey over the subsequent few seasons, main the Guelph Storm to an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) championship in 2014 and an look within the Memorial Cup Closing. In 2014-15, Bertuzzi scored 43 targets and 55 assists for 98 factors in 68 regular-season video games, and after the Storm have been eradicated within the second spherical, he joined the Pink Wings’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.
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Throughout his first few skilled seasons, the Sudbury, Ontario native was in a position to carve out a job as a dependable top-six winger who may create area for himself, by no means afraid to drop the gloves or defend his teammates. In 2016-17, he continued his successful methods, scoring 37 factors in 48 video games, then 9 targets and 10 assists for 19 factors in 19 playoff video games to assist the Griffins win the 2017 Calder Cup.
Over the subsequent six seasons, Bertuzzi carved out a status as a productive winger with a little bit little bit of snarl, unafraid to complete a verify and go to the web to tip in some extent shot or bury a rebound. As hockey continued evolving right into a recreation of velocity and finesse, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound ahead was a throwback, an instantaneous fan favourite for the Pink Wings and a coach’s dream.
The peak of his expertise was on full show in 2021-22, when Bertuzzi completed with 30 targets and 32 assists for 62 factors in simply 68 regular-season video games, a close to point-per-game tempo that noticed him end second on Detroit in scoring. The subsequent season was the ultimate yr of the two-year, $9.5 million deal he signed forward of 2021-22, and one other extremely productive marketing campaign would guarantee him a long-term deal.
Nevertheless, accidents and lackluster outcomes from the Pink Wings put a damper on his season, forcing Detroit to commerce their beloved winger to the Boston Bruins on the 2023 Commerce Deadline. In 21 regular-season video games with the Bruins, Bertuzzi recorded 16 factors, and of their first-round matchup towards the Florida Panthers, he was a monster, scoring 5 targets and 5 assists for 10 factors in seven video games.
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After his dominant playoff efficiency, everybody and their mom thought Bertuzzi would signal the kind of long-term deal that gamers dream of after they attain unrestricted free company. However after nobody provided him a contract on July 1, he wound up taking a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Maple Leafs.
One-Hit Surprise with the Maple Leafs
I watched practically each one in every of Bertuzzi’s 80 regular-season video games and 7 Stanley Cup Playoff video games with the Maple Leafs. Listed here are some fast ideas on his one-and-only season with the blue and white:
Bertuzzi had about as poor a begin as you would ask for, scoring simply three targets in his first 15 video games and 6 targets in his first 51. Each night time, it felt like he couldn’t get something previous the opposing goalie, and he was dropping each scramble and battle in entrance of the web. And good Lord, it felt like he took numerous silly penalties. Lots.
Typically whenever you’re struggling to attain targets, you’re forcing issues and making unhealthy errors. Low-cost hooks, at all times behind the play, it felt like I used to be watching a participant completely totally different than the one I noticed with the Pink Wings and Bruins over the earlier eight seasons.
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However halfway via February, one thing clicked for the previous 30-goal scorer: over the subsequent 29 video games, Bertuzzi went on a tear, scoring 15 targets and 22 factors, rising his ice time by a couple of minutes and being relied on in vital conditions. He began getting shifts with Auston Matthews and burying each rebound the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner couldn’t rating. There was a case to be made that Bertuzzi was among the finest gamers for Toronto in the direction of the top of the season and going into the postseason.
After the Maple Leafs have been eradicated by the Bruins, Bertuzzi, once more, turned an unrestricted free agent and a high goal for a lot of groups across the league. Lo and behold, he would signal with the Blackhawks on a four-year deal.
What Can Bertuzzi Carry to Chicago?
It’s seldom that gamers turning 30 have their finest offensive seasons within the second half of their careers, and logic would say that Bertuzzi isn’t any totally different. Coming into his ninth NHL marketing campaign, he has solely scored greater than 50 factors in a season as soon as, however he’s constantly been a 40-ish-point participant for many of his profession.
Associated: Blackhawks’ Bedard Impact Continues to Have an Affect
Now becoming a member of a Blackhawks lineup that’s determined for offense, Bertuzzi may very well be the identical productive winger he seemed like through the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. One aspect that helped drive his success in Detroit, and briefly, Boston, was the quantity of energy play time he bought, particularly on the primary unit. In Toronto, he seldom had any possibilities to play with the person benefit, largely because of Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares taking over many of the oxygen.
However with the Blackhawks, he may very well be penciled into the primary unit earlier than the primary puck is dropped. Going one step additional, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of risk that Bertuzzi will get to play with one other generational heart in Connor Bedard, which means much more potential level manufacturing for the veteran winger.
No matter state of affairs Bertuzzi finds himself in, there’s little doubt he might be given each alternative to succeed. It’s as much as him to see how a lot he can do.
