Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side.
Sometimes it’s brown, dead, and ugly, kind of like Tyler Bertuzzi’s post-Detroit Red Wings career.
The 58th overall pick in the 2013 entry draft is in his ninth NHL season. Somehow, he went from being one of the top players on the Red Wings to being a middle-six forward on every team.
Bertuzzi’s best season came in 2021-2022. He played 68 games for the Red Wings, recording 30 goals, 32 assists and 62 points while playing 19:52 per night. Since then, the winger has not been able to match the pace of 0.91 points per game.
Rocky road since the winged wheel
During the 2022-2023 season, Bertuzzi was traded to the Boston Bruins. There he saw an increase in production. He went from 14 points in 29 games with the Red Wings to 16 in 21 games with the Bruins.
Things looked up.
On July 2, 2023, Bertuzzi signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He would see the ice with all of the Leafs’ top players: Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and William Nylander.
Despite this premiere effort, he scored 43 points in 80 games. That production is nothing to scoff at; however, it meant another drop in attacking numbers.
Last season he posted a 0.60 points per game pace between the Red Wings and Bruins, with the Leafs dropping to 0.54. For the Chicago Blackhawks this year, that has dropped further to 0.38 points per game.
It’s not unusual for a player to experience such a major decline, especially for someone who isn’t afraid to screw up and who also turns 30 in February. The rate of decline is certainly a concern for the Blackhawks.
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