It sounds like the Bruins have made their decision on Tyler Bertuzzi
Like any executive, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney will never say never, but it appears as if the Bruins have reached a decision when it comes to the status of 2023 trade deadline addition and current free agent Tyler Bertuzzi.
Holding court with the media following yesterday’s free agency frenzy, which saw countless players added to the mix on largely affordable contracts, I asked Sweeney if the door was closed on Bertuzzi coming back to the Bruins.
“Yeah, in all likelihood, yes,” Sweeney offered.
Given Bertuzzi’s fit with the Bruins, and how he seemed to be a likely key piece for a Boston forward grouping that can use all the familiarity it can get in this potential “changing of the guard” kind of year, just what were the biggest obstacles the Bruins encountered in trying to make the partnership work?
“Probably all the factors,” Sweeney admitted. “The term that he has rightfully probably earned, the AAV that he’s seeking and what other teams are in position to provide that we probably weren’t, unless I made another big move.
“He was a great piece of our puzzle and dearly would like to have gone down the path to extend him.”
![Apr 11, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (59) during the third period against the Washington Capitals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports](https://985thesportshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2023/06/USATSI_20444671-copy.jpg)
Boston Bruins forward Tyler Bertuzzi during a game against the Washington Capitals at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)
Acquired from the Red Wings in exchange for a top-10 protected first-round pick in 2024 (and a fourth-round pick in 2025), Bertuzzi thrived with the Bruins, with four goals and 16 points in 21 games, followed by a postseason run that saw him score a team-leading five goals in what was an otherwise disappointing seven-game nightmare for the Bruins.
The Boston run understandably put the 28-year-old Bertuzzi in a prime position to cash in, and perhaps elevated his status from ‘nice piece’ to ‘must have’ for many in and outside the organization. And the Bruins’ decision to dump Taylor Hall on the Blackhawks freed up $6 million seemed to lead you to believe that Bertuzzi was indeed a ‘must have’ for the Bruins, but the Bruins instead used that freed up money to add depth pieces with the signings of James van Riemsdyk ($1 million), Morgan Geekie ($2 million), Milan Lucic ($1 million), and Kevin Shattenkirk ($1.05 million).
As Sweeney alluded to, keeping Bertuzzi would now require another big money-clearing move from the Bruins, and it doesn’t appear as if the Bruins have the appetite to sell yet another player for pennies on the dollar.
Bertuzzi, meanwhile, remains in search of a new team to call his own.
A Bertuzzi decision did not come on Saturday as many expected given how hot his marked appeared to be entering free agency, though teams like the Maple Leafs and Panthers remain in pursuit of the Ontario-born wing.
“He’s going to land in a really good spot for him and his family and we wish him luck,” said Sweeney.