The Toronto Maple Leafs had a busy offseason, bringing in several free agents. However, there’s no question that Tyler Bertuzzi was the most notable and brought about the most excitement. The 28-year-old winger just finished a strong rental stint with the Boston Bruins and had been an effective top-six forward over the last few seasons. With that, he had long been connected to the Maple Leafs, and many were excited to see the skill and grit he’d bring.
Fast forward to November, and things have started off disastrously for Bertuzzi with the Maple Leafs. He is struggling to contribute, as he has just three points in 12 games and zero points in his last five games. He was notably demoted to the club’ fourth line against the Bruins and called out by head coach Sheldon Keefe following it. Thus far, nothing is going right for Bertuzzi.
If Bertuzzi is unable to heat up as the season rolls on, his time with the Maple Leafs may be short-lived. Let’s dive into why now.
Maple Leafs Could Let Bertuzzi Walk Next Summer
After failing to get a long-term offer that he felt was acceptable in free agency, Bertuzzi settled for a one-year deal with the Maple Leafs this offseason. At first glance, this looked like a good move for both the player and the team. Bertuzzi would join a deeply talented Maple Leafs team and have the chance to improve his value for his next contract with a strong season. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs would add another high-impact forward with snot to their group. Yet, at this point, neither party is benefitting from this move.
If Bertuzzi’s play does not improve, the Maple Leafs could simply let him leave through free agency next summer. It is clear early on in the season that the 6-foot-2 forward is having trouble meshing into Keefe’s system, and it’s unlikely he would be brought back if this continues for the remainder of the season.
However, even if Bertuzzi improves, there’s also the chance that he could elect to leave the Maple Leafs this summer. His struggles have made him one of the Maple Leafs’ most criticized players early on, and that could be enough for him to seek a fresh start in free agency next summer.
In-Season Bertuzzi Trade Would Be Complicated
If Bertuzzi’s play does not get better as the season rolls on, some may want to see the Sudbury, Ontario native traded elsewhere. However, an in-season trade centering around Bertuzzi would be complicated, as he has a full no-movement clause (NMC). Thus, no matter what happens with him this season, there’s a good chance that he will spend the entirety of this season as a Maple Leaf.
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However, if Bertuzzi is willing to waive his NMC, that would create the possibility of a potential trade occurring. Yet, he wanted that to be a part of his deal for a reason, so we also cannot say with certainty that he would do that.
Bertuzzi Has Time & Potential to Improve
Although Bertuzzi’s start with the Blue and White has not been good, the Original Six club has only played 12 games so far this season. Thus, Bertuzzi has a ton of time to turn this ship around. Sometimes, it can take a player some time to get used to playing on a new team, and this appears to be the case with him. The Maple Leafs still have 70 regular-season games left to try to make this work.
With that, there is a reason why Bertuzzi landed his one-year, $5.5 million contract – he is a good hockey player. During the playoffs with the Bruins last season, he had five goals and 10 points in seven games. With the Detroit Red Wings in 2021-22, he had 30 goals and 62 points in 68 games. When playing at his highest level, he is a big-time scoring threat, and there’s still plenty of time for him to be just that for the Maple Leafs. However, to help his case of landing a long-term deal with the Maple Leafs, he will need to pick up the pace immediately.
We will now need to wait and see how Bertuzzi performs from here. While his start with the Maple Leafs has been nothing short of a nightmare, there’s still plenty of hockey left to be played. However, if he does not make a bigger impact as the season continues, don’t expect him back in Toronto next season.