The 2023 NHL free-agent class is lacking in star power and big names, but there are still some good players to be had. Tyler Bertuzzi is near the top of that list, and he should have plenty of potential suitors if he ends up reaching the open market this summer.
Bertuzzi is coming off a bit of a down year in which he scored only eight goals with 22 assists in 50 games split between the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins. Injuries limited him his production, as did a significant drop in his shooting percentage.
In the four years prior to the 2022-23 season, Bertuzzi was a 14 percent shooter for his career and had scored 77 goals in 221 regular-season games. That four-year span averages out to a 28-goal pace per 82 games, and he was coming off a career-high 30-goal performance in 2021-22 despite playing in only 68 games.
A fresh start, a fully healthy season and a change in his shooting percentage would make Bertuzzi a strong bounce-back candidate next season.
The Boston Bruins acquired him from Detroit before the NHL trade deadline in the hope that he could be one of the final pieces of a Stanley Cup puzzle. That did not work out as planned for the team, although Bertuzzi played well and seemed like a good fit.
While the Bruins probably would like to re-sign Bertuzzi, there has been no indication that the two sides have had substantial contract talks, and the team has a significant cap crunch to navigate. For that reason, a return to Boston seems unlikely.
So, let's take a look at teams that could be a potential fit for Bertuzzi.
Among the factors we considered are teams that are looking to contend for a playoff spot this season and have a need for an impact scorer while also having the salary-cap flexibility to land Bertuzzi—one of the top free agents on the market this summer.
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings have missed the playoffs seven years in a row and aren't getting any closer to the postseason. That should be starting to cast some doubt on general manager Steve Yzerman's rebuild. They need to start winning, and they need to do so now.
Bertuzzi had a great deal of success during his six-plus years in Detroit. He played well with both Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, and the Red Wings could certainly use him back in their top-six forward group.
The Red Wings are projected to have more than $30 million in salary-cap space this offseason with 15 players already under contract. They also have a few veteran forwards (Pius Suter, Alex Chiasson and Adam Erne) set to become unrestricted free agents.
The Red Wings have money to burn, have a need at forward and have a familiarity with Bertuzzi. He's probably the best combination of production, skill and age on the free-agent market.
Bertuzzi is still only 28 years old, so he should be able to give a team 20 goals and close to 50 points if he stays healthy. They aren't many players his age on the free-agent market who can produce at that level.
If the Red Wings are able to bring Bertuzzi back, it would be the ultimate win-win situation. They cashed in on him at the trade deadline and landed a conditional 2024 first-round pick plus a 2025 fourth-round pick perhaps only to loan him out for a few months.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars were briefly linked to Bertuzzi ahead of the trade deadline. If they were interested in him then, it would stand to reason that they still would be now, especially since the only cost would be a contract and salary-cap space instead of having to give up assets in a trade.
Instead of landing Bertuzzi, the Stars ended up acquiring Max Domi and Evgenii Dadonov in a pair of smaller trades. Both of those players are set to be unrestricted free agents this offseason, leaving the Stars with some holes to fill in their forward group.
Bertuzzi would be a nice fit within their core.
The Stars are already a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and are set up for long-term success. Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston, Mason Marchment, Miro Heiskanen and Jake Oettinger are a championship-caliber core of young players either in their prime or just entering it, while they also still have outstanding veterans like Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn at the top of the lineup.
Adding a player like Bertuzzi to be a complementary piece would give the Stars one of the deepest forward units in the league and help keep them at the top of the Western Conference.