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Tyler Bertuzzi

Edmonton Oilers Looking To Add A Forward

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The Edmonton Oilers have been on the hunt for defensive help for the better part of this season. GM Ken Holland was able to put that need to rest yesterday by swinging a trade for Mattias Ekholm. Despite the upgrade, it appears that Holland is not done.

Darren Dreger reported last night on TSN’s Insider Trading that Edmonton is still looking to add a forward and have shown interest in Tyler Bertuzzi as well as Nick Bjugstad.

Bertuzzi would be a tough add for Edmonton as his $4.75MM cap hit could prove problematic given the Oilers cap situation, but Bjugstad’s cap hit is just $900K. Both Bertuzzi and Bjugstad are pending unrestricted free agents playing on teams that appear likely to miss the playoffs.

Bertuzzi has had a down year this season with the Detroit Red Wings. He has just four goals in 29 games after scoring 30 goals last season in 68 games. He has missed considerable time this year and also missed most of the pandemic shortened 2020-21 season. Given his recent history, injury risk could be a concern to any team interested in Bertuzzi’s services. Cost could also be a concern as Detroit is reportedly asking for a first round pick.

Bjugstad on the other hand has dealt with injuries his entire career, but he has remained relatively healthy this season. He has had somewhat of a resurgence with the Arizona Coyotes scoring 13 goals, his first time breaking the 10-goal mark since 2017-18. The former first round pick appeared to be a budding star with the Florida Panthers back in 2014-15 when he scored 24 goals, but since that time he has yet to crack the 20-goal mark.

Any Oilers addition will likely need to be a dollar for dollar move at this point, or require a team or two to retain salary. The Oilers have just $450K of deadline cap space to make a move as they are still dealing with dead cap hits from the buyouts of James Neal and Andrej Sekera, as well as the retained salary from the Milan Lucic trade with the Calgary Flames. Lucic and Sekera come off the books at the end of this season, which should open the door for Holland to add to the Oilers this summer.

Trade Deadline Notes: Bertuzzi, Kulikov, Korpisalo

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While this season hasn’t entirely gone to plan for Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi, as a pending unrestricted free agent he was expected to be a top player on the forward market this trade deadline season. Now, with Detroit well within the playoff hunt, it seems trade conversations regarding Bertuzzi have halted. On the 32 Thoughts segment of last night’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that there is a growing belief that as long as the Red Wings remain in the hunt for a playoff spot, Bertuzzi is “not available” for trade.

Bertuzzi’s season thus far has not been entirely impressive (he’s struggled to stay healthy and has scored 12 points in 24 games) but it was just one year ago that he scored 30 goals and 62 points in just 68 games for Detroit. If interested clubs believe that the Bertuzzi of last season is a more accurate reflection of his talent than what he has put forth this year, it is no surprise that he would garner trade interest. Forwards who can score while also playing with an edge to their game are highly coveted, so it stands to reason that Detroit could expect a solid return package if Bertuzzi were dealt. But since the Red Wings currently have a chance to stop their playoff drought from stretching to seven seasons in length, it seems they’d prefer to keep their homegrown winger.

Some other notes on the upcoming trade deadline:

  • Calls inquiring on the trade availability of Anaheim Ducks defenseman Dmitry Kulikov are poised to increase sharply as the market for Columbus Blue Jackets blueliner Vladislav Gavrikov tightens. Marek noted on 32 Thoughts to “expect attention” to be paid to Kulikov by teams who miss out on Gavrikov. Kulikov, 32, is a steady left-shot defenseman who plays a solid defensive game and is currently the Ducks’ leader in penalty-killing ice time. He’s on an expiring $2.25MM AAV deal, and one would expect that the Ducks, with over $60MM in projected deadline cap space per CapFriendly, would have no issue retaining salary to make a deal work.
  • Another name expected to generate interest around the trade deadline is that of Blue Jackets netminder Joonas Korpisalo. The pending unrestricted free agent’s box score numbers in 26 games this year are solid (.913 save percentage) and his underlying numbers are similarly good, if not better. On 32 Thoughts, Marek said to expect teams in need of goaltending help to target the one-time NHL All-Star Game selection.

Trade Deadline Notes: Bertuzzi, Boeser, Van Riemsdyk, Watson, Kravtsov

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As we inch closer to the March 3rd trade deadline, trade winds across the league are beginning to pick up. The 32 Thoughts segment of yesterday’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast offered quite a few updates on notable trade situations across the NHL, including that of Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who is a pending unrestricted free agent. Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek noted that brief extension talks between the Red Wings and Bertuzzi “didn’t go anywhere,” leaving it more likely that he is dealt before the deadline.

Marek reported that the Red Wings are expected to set a high price for Bertuzzi, who scored 62 points in 68 games last season and plays the sort of rugged, physical game many teams covet. Marek called the price “something substantial” in his report. Teams such as the Dallas Stars, who are reportedly seeking a player to play next to Tyler Seguin on a more regular basis, Edmonton Oilers, and Tampa Bay Lightning were all linked by Marek as teams holding varying degrees of interest in acquiring the talented Red Wings forward.

Some other notes from this news-filled 32 Thoughts segment:

  • While Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser could be one of the more talented wingers on the trade market over the next month or so, he could be in for a bit of a wait until it’s determined whether or not he’s dealt. On 32 Thoughts, Friedman reported that Boeser may be widely seen as a possible backup plan for teams that fail in their pursuit of San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier. As a result, his status in terms of a trade could be stuck in a “holding pattern” until there is more clarity in Meier’s situation.
  • Another name that was brought up as being on the market is that of veteran Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk. The 33-year-old has scored a healthy 21 points in 34 games this season, and would in all likelihood give a team additional scoring help at a lower cost than some of the other forward options on the market, such as Meier or Bertuzzi. Marek linked van Riemsdyk to three teams: the Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights.
  • If teams are looking to acquire some more toughness and grit for their bottom six as they gear up for the war of attrition that is the NHL playoffs, Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson could be a quality option. Marek reports that Watson has been made available to other teams in advance of the March 3rd deadline, and would likely come at a relatively affordable price. The 31-year-old is a valued leader in the Senators’ locker room and averages two minutes per night on the team’s above-average penalty kill. He’s on an expiring $1.5MM AAV deal and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer barring an extension.
  • Another new name to enter the trade deadline mix is that of 2018 ninth-overall pick Vitali Kravtsov, with Friedman reporting that the 23-year-old Russian “has been made available” to other clubs for trade in the aftermath of his being healthy scratched for the team’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Kravtsov has been given opportunities to shine in New York this season and had an opportunity to establish himself in the NHL given the openings the Rangers had at right wing before the Vladimir Tarasenko trade. With Tarasenko now in the mix, it seems Kravtsov’s leash is beginning to run short, and with just six points in 28 games a change-of-scenery trade could be in order.

Red Wings Notes: Zadina, Bertuzzi, Johansson

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Filip Zadina’s return to the ice has had some ups and downs as the winger has dealt with various setbacks that have delayed his return.  However, he told team reporter Jonathan Mills that at this point, all he’s waiting for is the sign-off from team doctors to return to the lineup with the hopes of getting in before next week’s All-Star break.  Zadina has missed a bit more than ten weeks due to a lower-body injury, one that was initially supposed to sideline him for six to eight weeks.  He has been limited to just nine games this season and is still looking for his first point which isn’t the type of bounce-back anyone was hoping for in the first year of his three-year bridge deal

More from Detroit:

  • Winger Tyler Bertuzzi is also nearing a return as MLive’s Ansar Khan reports (Twitter link) that the veteran is expected to return on Thursday against Montreal. The 27-year-old suffered a lower-body injury back last Thursday and has missed the last two games.  This season hasn’t gone anywhere near the way Bertuzzi had hoped as he has missed time with three separate injuries and has just a goal and four assists in 15 games.  That’s hardly the type of production he was hoping for heading into the final year of his contract with his first crack at unrestricted free agency to follow.
  • Prospect Anton Johansson has signed an upgraded contract, per an announcement from SHL Leksand. The 18-year-old defenseman was a fourth-round pick last summer (105th overall) and started the year at the junior level but has played in 13 games with Leksand at the top level.  That playing time necessitated an adjusted contract but it still only runs through this season.  However, it’s likely that Johansson will remain in the SHL for the foreseeable future which will be a good test development-wise.

Atlantic Notes: Bergeron, Motte, Bertuzzi

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Load management is a term that has become more commonplace in the NBA in recent seasons but it’s not something that’s typically done with any sort of regularity in the NHL.  However, that could be changing as Bruins center Patrice Bergeron acknowledged to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski that the team has talked to him about the possibility of selectively resting him down the stretch.  The 37-year-old is in the midst of another strong season and has 36 points in 45 games so far while anchoring their top line but at his age and the minutes he has logged over the years, a night off here and there might not be a bad idea.  Of course, it certainly helps that Boston has a 13-point lead on Toronto in the Atlantic Division, giving them a sizable cushion that lessens any risk from attempting to give their top center some extra rest.

More from the Atlantic:

  • Senators winger Tyler Motte’s recovery from a finger injury isn’t going as well as the team hoped, notes Postmedia’s Ken Warren. The 27-year-old suffered the injury just before the holiday break and will now be out until after the All-Star break and bye week.  Motte was a late signee in the offseason, inking a one-year, $1.35MM deal with Ottawa but things haven’t gone accordingly to plan this season as he has been relatively quiet when he has been in the lineup with just three goals and six assists in 32 games.
  • While the Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that winger Tyler Bertuzzi won’t be available tonight due to injury, it’s not expected to be a long-term issue, reports MLive’s Ansar Khan. It has been a year to forget so far for the 27-year-old who has been limited to just 15 appearances thus far after breaking both hands this season.  Bertuzzi has just a goal and four assists when he has been in the lineup, hardly the type of year he was hoping for as he becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer.

Tyler Bertuzzi To Return For Detroit Red Wings

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The Detroit Red Wings are on a three-game losing skid and now find themselves sliding further and further down the Atlantic Division standings. Tied with the Ottawa Senators, they’re just four points ahead of the bottom-dwelling Montreal Canadiens. Perhaps the return of a key forward will spark a turnaround.

Tyler Bertuzzi will make his return to the lineup tomorrow night according to head coach Derek Lalonde, who spoke with reporters including Ansar Khan of MLive. The 27-year-old hasn’t played since November, undergoing surgery on December 2 that ruled him out for six weeks. Now ready to return, he’ll try to build on the outstanding season he had in 2021-22.

Bertuzzi scored 30 goals for the first time last year, while nearly recording a point-per-game for the rebuilding Red Wings. It set him up for a huge platform year this season with unrestricted free agency right around the corner, something that was disrupted by that early injury.

Now, with just a few months left before he potentially hits the open market, he’ll have to make up for the lost time. A quick turnaround for the Red Wings would certainly be welcomed before the club falls completely out of the playoff race.

In the case of Filip Zadina, who was on a similar timeline, the team will have to wait a bit longer. Khan reports that the young forward had a slight setback and is hoping to return next week.

East Notes: Red Wings, Raanta, Blue Jackets

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Robby Fabbri is nearing a return for the Red Wings and there’s more help on the horizon as well as head coach Derek Lalonde told reporters, including MLive’s Ansar Khan (Twitter link) that wingers Tyler Bertuzzi and Filip Zadina are on the same timeframe for a return and should be back in the next eight to ten days.  Bertuzzi has missed the last month after undergoing wrist surgery and while he’s off to a slow start this season, he had a career-high 62 points in 2021-22.  Meanwhile, Zadina has missed more than seven weeks with a lower-body injury.  With those two and Fabbri close to coming back, Detroit’s forward group is about to get a lot deeper in the very near future as they look to hang around the Wild Card battle.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • While Carolina’s original intention might have been to send Pyotr Kochetkov back to the minors when Frederik Andersen returns from his injury, his play has made that much more difficult. Accordingly, Adam Proteau of The Hockey News opines that Antti Raanta might be the odd one out between the pipes.  He has a 2.53 GAA with a .900 SV% in 14 starts this season, a decent return on a $2.25MM AAV.  While the Hurricanes likely wouldn’t be able to command a sizable return for Raanta’s services, he could be a useful pickup for a team looking for a short-term option between the pipes.
  • The Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that goaltender Daniil Tarasov suffered an upper-body injury in practice on Friday. The 23-year-old was likely to be sent to the minors soon with Elvis Merzlikins clearing COVID protocol earlier this week but this will now delay that for at least a few days as Tarasov is listed as day-to-day.  He has played in a dozen games with Columbus this season, recording a 3.40 GAA with a .907 SV%.
  • Still with the Blue Jackets, defenseman Nick Blankenburg has resumed skating as he works his way back from a broken ankle, relays Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 24-year-old has been out for the last seven weeks due to the injury and there remains no timetable for his return.  Blankenburg has three points in seven games so far this season.

Detroit Red Wings Place Tyler Bertuzzi On Injured Reserve

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Dec 2: Bertuzzi underwent successful surgery this morning and will be out for six weeks.

Dec 1: Despite being activated less than a month ago, Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi is headed back to the injured reserve list. Detroit announced today that they have placed their star forward on injured reserve.

In a corresponding move, they have recalled forward Austin Czarnik from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

This is not Bertuzzi’s first run-in with injury struggles. A back injury caused Bertuzzi to miss most of the 2020-21 season. Earlier this year, Bertuzzi was sidelined with a broken hand, one that he sustained after just two games played.

During Wednesday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, Bertuzzi’s left hand was struck by a point shot from teammate Ben Chiarot. It’s another moment of poor luck for the 27-year-old power forward, and one that will come as bad news for the Red Wings overall.

When healthy, Bertuzzi is an important part of Detroit’s offensive attack. He scored 30 goals and 62 points in 68 games last season and has four points in nine games so far this year.

Bertuzzi’s replacement on the roster, Czarnik, is also a centerpiece offensive contributor, albeit for AHL Grand Rapids. So far this year Czarnik has 14 points in 12 AHL games, and he has 46 points in 146 career NHL games.

With Bertuzzi out of the picture, Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde will have to decide whether to deploy Czarnik in Bertuzzi’s vacated spot on Michael Rasmussen and David Perron’s line or to give that opportunity to someone lower on the depth chart.

Despite their injury troubles, the Red Wings are off to a strong start this season and will look to weather Bertuzzi’s absence as they build toward a possible playoff berth.

Detroit Red Wings Activate Tyler Bertuzzi

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The Detroit Red Wings are getting a huge piece back healthy tonight for their matchup against the struggling Anaheim Ducks. Forward Tyler Bertuzzi has been activated off injured reserve, according to the team Tuesday night. To make room on the roster, the team placed forward Elmer Soderblom on injured reserve retroactive to November 8.

Bertuzzi played in just two games this season before sustaining a broken hand, registering an assist. He’s expected to return to his top-line role alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.

Detroit has still managed to get off to a 7-5-3 start without him, staying competitive in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. If Bertuzzi can capture last year’s form, where he scored 62 points in 68 games, he’ll fortify what’s already been a strong top six and help them keep pace.

In Bertuzzi’s absence, though, Dominik Kubalik has done a spectacular job providing depth scoring behind Larkin – if you can even call it depth. After going unqualified by the Chicago Blackhawks last offseason, Kubalik has 18 points through his first 15 games as a Red Wing to lead the team.

Soderblom has missed the team’s last two games and is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. He is eligible to return at any time, given the seven-day waiting period on IR retroactively expires as of tonight, but the team will need to make a corresponding roster move to create an open space.

Injury Notes: Murray, Bowers, Red Wings, Capitals, Kravtsov

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When the Toronto Maple Leafs elected to overhaul their goaltending group this offseason, the biggest question aside from rebound performances from Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov, would be health. Thus far, the team has seemingly received a positive answer when it comes to performance from both goaltenders, but health has been an issue. Murray found himself on LTIR with an abductor injury after just one game and last weekend, Samsonov found himself on IR with a knee injury suffered on a Brad Marchand penalty shot. After the emergency signing of AHL netminder Keith Petruzzelli, the team has relied on Erik Kallgren to shoulder the load while waiting for one of Murray or Samsonov to return.

Earlier today, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe provided a brief update on Murray when he spoke with the media, including The Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan. Per Keefe, Murray is doing well physically and has even been cleared to play. However, Keefe says, Murray is not quite ready to return, with the organization’s performance team waiting to see a few more things before they believe he can return to game action. Although Murray’s return can’t come soon enough for Toronto, assuring the netminder is 100% ready for game action is key. Even if he’s completely healthy, as he appears to be, Murray has been out of game action for a month, a considerable amount of that time spent not receiving the daily work and repetition necessary to be a competitive NHL goaltender. Had Murray been rushed, Toronto might find itself with a healthy Murray, but not the one they need.

  • It’s been a long road for forward Shane Bowers between being a first-round pick in 2017 and his NHL debut on Thursday night, and unfortunately, he’ll have to wait a while longer to play in NHL game number two. The 23-year-old suffered an upper-body injury after just 1:46 of time-on-ice Thursday and is now out long-term. According to Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now, who spoke to Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, Bowers is expected to miss six weeks. The injury is surely a tough break for Bowers both physically and mentally, however after several years of sub-par performance that interrupted his development, he had been off to a strong start in 2022-23, recording six points in ten AHL games. That performance, combined with his once-high prospect status is something the Avalanche will surely keep in mind as he works his way back.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have had themselves an up-and-down start to the season, currently holding a record of 7-4-3. While many had high hopes for the team after a busy offseason, their record through 14 games may be better than it seems given the team’s difficult injury issues early on. In fact, some of those injury woes may be resolving themselves shortly, says Michigan Live’s Answer Kahn. As Kahn writes, rookie forward Elmer Soderblom, who missed Thursday’s game against the New York Rangers, is still considered day-to-day. Defenseman Jake Walman, who had shoulder surgery this offseason, is expected to return to the lineup and make his season debut at some point during Detroit’s four game road trip, which begins tonight in Los Angeles against the Kings and concludes a week from tonight against the Blue Jackets in Columbus. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who suffered a broken hand just two games into the season, is expected to return Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks.
  • Despite placing him on IR just yesterday, Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov skated at optional practice this morning and will be joining the team on its upcoming road trip, says NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Washington’s road trip begins tomorrow in Tampa Bay against the Lightning and concludes Thursday at the St. Louis Blues. Orlov, who was injured last Saturday, is eligible to come off of IR as soon as tomorrow, as the placement was back-dated to the injury, however it’s unclear what Washington’s plan is exactly. The team had placed Orlov on IR in order to make room for fellow defenseman John Carlson, who the team activated yesterday. Should they wish to activate Orlov, a corresponding roster move would be necessary. Not joining the Capitals on their trip is forward T.J. Oshie, who is on IR dealing with a lower-body injury.
  • New York Rangers forward Vitali Kravtsov will not play tonight when the Rangers take on the Predators in Nashville. The forward is dealing with a stomach bug, reports Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Kravtsov, 22, has just one point in six games so far in his return to North America.

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