All. In. We knew that was the case with how dominant the Boston Bruins have been playing, we knew it was the case when they landed Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway, and we especially know it’s the case now. On Thursday morning, news broke that the Bruins traded for Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings.
The cost of the acquisition was a top 10 protected first round pick in 2024 and a fourth round pick in 2025. The Bruins had already dealt their 2023 first rounder in the Orlov/Hathaway trade.
Bertuzzi is on the last year of a two year, $9.5 million contract with the Red Wings, with a $4.75 million cap hit this season. The Red Wings are retaining half of his salary, with the Bruins responsible for a $2.375 million cap hit. Taylor Hall was placed on LTIR with a lower body injury, giving the Bruins the cap space to get Bertuzzi.
One good part of the trade is that it didn’t cost the Bruins any prospects to get Bertuzzi, thus keeping the pipeline intact. He’s also a pending UFA, so if he ultimately doesn’t fit here, he can sign elsewhere over the summer with no issue. I said it at the top, the Bruins are going all in.
Bertuzzi has only played in 29 games this season due to some injuries. That has limited him to four goals and 10 assists, averaging 16:29 of ice time per game. He has one goal and one assist in his past five games.
However, the 2021-2022 season was a big one for Bertuzzi. He set career highs in goals, assists, and points, recording 30 goals and 32 assists for 62 points on the season. He scored six power play goals that season and had a 16.7 shooting percentage.
By acquiring Bertuzzi, the Bruins have $3.17 million available in LTIR cap space with Hall and Vinni Lettieri on LTIR. As such, the Bruins would have to figure out a couple things if they activate Hall before the end of the season. I mean really, does nobody want Mike Reilly?
The #NHLBruins put Taylor Hall (6M) on LTIR & called up Lauko. Lettieri has remained on LTIR as he has not yet been medically cleared.
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) March 2, 2023
They now have $3.17M of Cap Space Remaining with 23 players on the active roster.https://t.co/zQ9ce8eFfY
With Hall on the shelf and Nick Foligno on IR, Jakub Lauko was recalled from Providence. It seems likely that Lauko and Bertuzzi will play alongside Charlie Coyle on the Bruins third line, with Bertuzzi likely grabbing Hall’s spot on the second power play unit.
Make no mistake, the Bruins are all-in. Plus, with the need to gain enough space to activate Hall before the end of the season, maybe we see at least one more move, like Mike Reilly getting dealt. It seems only right, he doesn’t have a path to playing time here. Anyway, welcome to Boston Tyler, let’s win a cup!