Bruins Seem Determined To Keep Tyler Bertuzzi
Some things out of the Bruins’ control this upcoming offseason. Will Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci return or retire? That’s going to have a big impact on what Boston is able to do this Summer. In terms of things in their control, it sure sounds like the Bruins are doing everything in their power to prioritize bringing back Tyler Bertuzzi.
SportsNet Canada’s Elliotte Friedman dropped his 32 thoughts column and made it pretty clear that Boston wants Bertuzzi back:
“7. Boston is exploring what it needs to do to keep Tyler Bertuzzi, who is slated to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.”
Bertuzzi, 28, is one of the top free agents available in a really bad free agent class. Damon Severson, Alex Killorn, Michael Bunting, and teammate Dmitry Orlov are among the other big names available this Summer. Again, it’s not a great class and Bertuzzi is one of the best options available. There may very well be a bidding war on our hands.
Additionally, Boston may not have the firepower to re-sign him. The Bruins don’t exactly have endless funds of money to play with to try to bring back Bertuzzi. Don’t forget that hefty David Pastrnak extension kicks in this upcoming season. This is the best chart I can find that demonstrates the situation the Bruins are in. We also aren’t positive on what the cap will be yet but Boston may need to clear out some money if they want to retain Bertuzzi.
Bruins Cap Projection if you put Mike Reilly in AHL for next season. $6M in cap space pic.twitter.com/ZUfghRodKk
— Bruins Cap Space (@BruinsCapSpace) May 11, 2023
After being traded to Boston, Tyler Bertuzzi posted four goals and 12 assists in 21 games with the Bruins. He’s also regarded as a sick passer and is unafraid to deliver a big hit. He’s the perfect younger version of Brad Marchand to build around moving forward. That is if they’re able to keep him.
