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Tyler Bertuzzi

West Notes: Coachella Valley, Bertuzzi, Levshunov

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The Coachella Valley Firebirds of the AHL have announced their second head coach in franchise history by hiring Derek Laxdal. Laxdal will have some big shoes to fill as the new head coach of the Seattle Kraken, Dan Bylsma, coached the team to back-to-back Western Conference Finals championships.

Laxdal brings considerable experience in coaching and winning to the young AHL franchise. The veteran coach spent five years as head coach of the Idaho Steelheads in the ECHL from 2005-2010 and earned a winning record each year in addition to winning the Kelly Cup in 2007 and as runner-up in 2010. Laxdal parlayed this success in Idaho to Edmonton where he would coach the Wheat Kings of the WHL for the next four years.

Getting his first nod to join an NHL organization, Laxdal was hired as the head coach of the Texas Stars in 2014, the AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars. The AHL Stars missed the playoffs twice during Laxdal’s five-and-a-half-year tenure behind the bench but also managed to finish as runner-ups to the Toronto Marlies in the 2018 Calder Cup Finals. Laxdal was promoted to assistant coach in Dallas until 2022 and has spent the last two years serving as head coach and assistant general manager of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals.

Other West Notes:

  • Although Tyler Bertuzzi would ultimately sign a four-year, $22MM contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, he did not enter the summer believing they were interested. His first contact from the organization came from veteran Nick Foligno, who alerted Bertuzzi to Chicago’s interest, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. Foligno and Bertuzzi have briefly played with each other during the 2022-23 season as both were rostered on the regular season champion Boston Bruins.
  • Staying in Chicago, the team has yet to decide on the future of recent second-overall pick, Artyom Levshunov. Scott Powers of The Athletic reports the general manager of the Blackhawks, Kyle Davidson, says he believes there are benefits to Levshunov signing with the organization and continuing his development in Rockford, or staying another year at Michigan State University. There are arguments on both sides of the debate but Levshunov has little else to prove at the NCAA level as he became one of the most dominant defensemen in the country as a freshman.

Blackhawks Sign Tyler Bertuzzi To Four-Year Deal

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Multiple reports overnight indicate the Blackhawks are expected to land winger Tyler Bertuzzi when the UFA market opens at 11 a.m. CT today, although Daily Faceoff’s Jay Rosehill was on it first. It’ll be a four-year, $22MM deal ($5.5MM AAV), David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

Chicago will be Bertuzzi’s first turn after a one-year stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bertuzzi joined Toronto on a one-year, $5.5MM deal last summer and proceeded to have a fine year, netting 21 goals and 43 points in 80 games. He also added four points in seven postseason games. It was a middling performance, though still a step up from Bertuzzi’s 2022-23 campaign.

He kicked off that year with 14 points in 29 games with the Detroit Red Wings before being traded to the Boston Bruins at the 2023 Trade Deadline in exchange for a 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick. Bertuzzi managed a modest 16 points in 21 regular season games with Boston, though he found his spark when the team needed him – tallying 10 points, split evenly, in seven games during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Bertuzzi looked comfortable in Boston after spending the previous six seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit originally drafted Bertuzzi in the second half of the 2013 NHL Draft’s second round, promoting him to the NHL in the 2016-17 season. And while he was able to set a trend of topping 45 points each season in Detroit, there were concerns about how his rough-and-tumble style would translate to a new scene. That made a strong performance with the Bruins imperative – and Bertuzzi held up enough to convince Toronto that they were missing his top-of-the-lineup grit.

But Bertuzzi wasn’t able to carve out too comfortable of a role with the Leafs. He spent the year bouncing around the team’s top six as they looked for how to best deploy their new additions of Bertuzzi and Max Domi. In the end, it was Domi who found more comfort next to stars Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner – ultimately kicking Bertuzzi down to the second line. Toronto, amidst their typical cap crunch, was only expected to keep one of these new additions and made their choice by delivering a four-year extension to Domi.

That leaves Bertuzzi free to join an up-and-coming Blackhawks club. He joins the lineup as, presently, their highest-paid forward, speaking to the leadership role he’ll have over a group of young forwards, headlined by star youngsters Connor Bedard and Artyom Levshunov. Bertuzzi could vie for a role on Bedard’s line, sat opposite Taylor Hall, though it seems more likely that the Hawks keep Philipp Kurashev next to their star and use Bertuzzi to offer a punch on the second line. If that is the role he finds himself in, Bertuzzi will instead be supporting top prospect Frank Nazar, who’s poised for his rookie season after signing an entry-level contract this summer.

A four-year deal will carry Bertuzzi through his age-33 season in 2027-28. With Bertuzzi signed, Chicago now has $23.4MM in cap space, with one forward spot and three defense spots still open. Some of those roles could go to prospects like Nick Lardis, Ethan Del Mastro, or Nolan Allan – though Chicago still has plenty of budget for other free-agent additions.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Atlantic Notes: Swayman, Bruins, Roy, Bertuzzi, Xhekaj

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With Linus Ullmark now in Ottawa, Jeremy Swayman is the Bruins’ undisputed goalie of the present and future moving forward.  However, it doesn’t appear as if much progress has been made on a new deal, according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli (Twitter link).  Last summer, the two sides wound up going through salary arbitration with the netminder receiving a one-year, $3.475MM award.  This past season, the 25-year-old posted a 2.52 GAA with a .916 SV% in 44 regular season games before putting forth a better showing in the playoffs, playing to a 2.15 GAA and a .933 SV% in a dozen postseason contests.  It stands to reason that both sides would like to get a long-term agreement done; that type of deal should carry a price tag of at least $6MM.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • Still with the Bruins, Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe suggests that they could be in position to land a pair of prominent Vancouver free agents when the market opens up on Monday, linking Boston to both center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov. Lindholm is coming off a down year but still managed 15 goals and 29 assists in 75 games.  He’d give Boston a legitimate two-way middleman after they didn’t really replace Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci last summer.  Zadorov, meanwhile, split the year between Calgary and Vancouver, notching 20 points and 177 hits in 75 games.  However, he was quite impactful in the playoffs, recording four goals and four assists in 13 contests while logging over 20 minutes a game, putting himself in a spot to land a big raise on the $3.5MM he made in 2023-24 on a long-term agreement.
  • The Senators are expected to make an aggressive pitch for pending UFA defenseman Matt Roy, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The 29-year-old is positioned to be one of the top right-shot defenders to hit the open market on Monday and is coming off a strong year that saw him record 25 points, 197 blocks, and 152 hits in 81 games while averaging just under 21 minutes a night.  After making $3.15MM the last three seasons, he could potentially come close to doubling that in free agency which would be very difficult for Ottawa to fit into their current salary structure.
  • While the Maple Leafs were hoping to re-sign winger Tyler Bertuzzi, that won’t be the case according to TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link) who notes that the contract he’s expected to get is more than what Toronto can afford. The 29-year-old couldn’t get a multi-year deal at his asking price last summer, instead settling for a one-year, $5.5MM agreement with the Maple Leafs.  Bertuzzi picked up 21 goals and 22 assists in 81 games during the regular season.  That, coupled with his production in the past (three other years of at least 20 goals) has Dreger feeling that Bertuzzi will land a deal around four years at more than $5MM per season.
  • Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj received a qualifying offer today but a new agent will be handling the discussions. Bartlett Hockey announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed Xhekaj along with his brother Florian Xhekaj as new clients.  Arber played in 44 games in his sophomore year with Montreal, picking up 10 points, 125 hits, and 81 penalty minutes while averaging just under 16 minutes a night.  He also played in 17 games with AHL Laval, recording 11 points.  Florian, meanwhile, is a Canadiens prospect and will begin his entry-level agreement next season.

Atlantic Notes: Marner, Bertuzzi, Panthers, Dickinson

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The tides may be turning in this summer’s edition of the Mitch Marner saga. Speaking on TSN 1050’s “First Up” on Monday, Darren Dreger reports that general manager Brad Treliving may prefer to put his resources into extending the star winger rather than trading him this summer as he enters the final year of his contract.

Dreger did note that the Leafs haven’t started extension discussions with Marner’s camp yet. His quote today falls in line with previous reporting that Toronto wouldn’t approach Marner about waiving his no-move clause until an acceptable offer was presented to them. Additionally, Chris Johnston of SDPN, TSN and The Athletic said over the weekend that the team wasn’t fully committed to the idea of trading Marner.

It won’t stop trade speculation from ramping up, though, nor will it likely quiet any actual trade talks going on behind the scenes. Teams will still pursue the winger – The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta listed the Blackhawks, Golden Knights, Predators and Stars as interested parties today. If there’s an exceptionally strong offer presented to Treliving, there’s no indication that he’d turn away.

Regardless, it doesn’t appear there’s a huge sense of urgency to resolve the situation in the next few weeks. However, waiting until after the opening of free agency, when teams spent the majority of their offseason cap space, to swing a trade would heavily complicate discussions.

Sticking with Toronto, Pagnotta said today that Treliving remains in negotiations with pending free agent winger Tyler Bertuzzi to try and keep him from hitting the UFA market in a couple of weeks. An extension doesn’t appear imminent, though. The 29-year-old had 21 goals and 43 points in 80 games this season after signing a one-year, $5.5MM deal in free agency with the Leafs last summer.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • The Panthers have entered into a “multi-year” affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates, per a team announcement. They said late last week that they wouldn’t be renewing their ECHL affiliation with the Florida Everblades, who have won three consecutive Kelly Cup titles. With the move, the Panthers land an ECHL affiliation much closer to their primary minor-league club, the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Considering moves between AHL and ECHL affiliates occur almost daily, it’s a better setup for the club’s fringe minor-leaguers. The Ghost Pirates entered the league in advance of the 2022-23 campaign and have spent the last two seasons as the second-tier affiliate of the Golden Knights. They’ve yet to make the ECHL’s Kelly Cup Playoffs.
  • Top 2024 NHL Draft defense prospect Sam Dickinson said his pre-draft interview with the Senators was one he was “looking forward” to in an interview with TSN’s Mark Masters. Dickinson told Masters the interview went “really well” and that his preparation for it was a “little more intense” given the chance of the Ontario-born blue liner staying close to home. The 18-year-old racked up 18 goals, 70 points and a +56 rating in 68 games with the OHL’s London Knights this season, leading their defensemen in scoring. He’s the seventh-ranked North American skater in the class by NHL Central Scouting and could very well be available when Ottawa steps up to the podium with the seventh overall pick.

Maple Leafs Open Contract Talks With Tyler Bertuzzi

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Winger Tyler Bertuzzi is one of many pending unrestricted free agents for the Maple Leafs and is also one of their more prominent ones.  It had been suggested previously that there was mutual interest in a contract extension and it appears those talks are now underway, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link).  He added that it’s way too early in the process to determine if the two sides might be able to work out a new deal.

Last summer was an interesting one for the 29-year-old.  Even though he was coming off a down year, Bertuzzi was one of the better unrestricted free agents in last year’s class, landing in the top ten in our annual rankings.  That appeared to have him set to receive a multi-year agreement (if not a long-term one) and a raise on the $4.75MM AAV he had been playing on.

However, the market he was hoping for never materialized.  Rather than accept a multi-year deal at a lower rate, he instead pivoted on the second day of free agency, inking a one-year, $5.5MM pact with Toronto.  It looked like his hope was that a key role on a Maple Leafs team that had a strong offensive core could help better position himself to land a long-term agreement on the open market this time around.

Things didn’t go quite as planned, however.  Bertuzzi got off to a slow start, notching just nine points in his first 27 games despite holding down a spot in the top six for most of that time.  He was able to rebound in the second half, however, finishing up with 21 goals and 20 assists in 80 games before tying for the team lead in playoff points with four.

Bertuzzi is only two years removed from a 30-goal season when he had 30 tallies and 32 assists in 68 games during the 2021-22 season.  He also has two other 21-goal campaigns under his belt so there is a reasonable track record of offensive success.

Having said that, the fact he wasn’t able to get back to that 30-goal mark (instead staying closer to his career averages) won’t help his chances of landing a raise and a long-term pact.  If Bertuzzi wants some job security in the form of a multi-year agreement, he’s likely going to have to take at least a small discount on the salary side.

Toronto has a little more than $18MM in cap room this summer, per CapFriendly.  However, they have to sign a few forwards, several defensemen, and a goalie with that money so while there is some flexibility to make a big signing if they want, they also need to spread that money around.  They have next month to figure out if a new deal for Bertuzzi fits in with how they want to allocate their remaining cap room.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Maple Leafs Interested In Extending Tyler Bertuzzi

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From the start of the 2020-21 NHL season, forward Tyler Bertuzzi had been generally inconsistent, due in large part to his inability to stay healthy for an entire season. Over a possible 220 regular season games, Bertuzzi was only able to suit up in 127 games with the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins.

Because of this, Bertuzzi failed to secure a multi-year contract in last year’s offseason, choosing to sign a one-year, $5.5MM contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Even though he brought the grit that the Maple Leafs were coveting over the offseason, Bertuzzi failed to reach his expectations on the score sheet for quite some time in Toronto, scoring six goals and 21 points through his first 50 games with the organization.

Nevertheless, Bertuzzi finally picked up his offensive output towards the end of the regular season, scoring 15 goals and 22 points in his last 30 games. Seemingly enjoying his time in Toronto, it was reported only two weeks ago that Bertuzzi would be open to signing an extension with the Maple Leafs, with David Pagnotta of TheFourthPeriod now reporting that the feeling is mutual between the two parties.

With Toronto once again failing to deliver on lofty postseason expectations, there is wide belief throughout the league that major changes will be coming to the roster this summer. Although rumors have been floating around in years past about breaking up the ’Core Four’, the current speculation appears to have much more veracity than in years past.

Outside of Bertuzzi’s pending unrestricted free agency, the Maple Leafs still need to find a head coach, develop a quality defensive core, and iron out their goaltending situation. Assuming that Bertuzzi is hoping to garner a multi-year contract this summer, he may need to settle for a lower AAV than expected, unless Toronto can free up additional cap space in their expected flurry of moves this offseason.

Atlantic Notes: Giles, Marner, Bertuzzi

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The Florida Panthers have added forward Patrick Giles to their playoff roster after recalling seven other players earlier today. Giles will effectively serve as one of the Panthers’ black aces and will practice with the team throughout their current playoff run. Giles recently completed his third season in the AHL with Florida’s AHL affiliate the Charlotte Checkers and will join many of his teammates in Florida.

Giles was an undrafted free agent signing out of college after spending four seasons with Boston College. The 24-year-old hasn’t produced much offensively at any level dating back to his junior days. This season with the Checkers, Giles posted 13 goals and 10 assists in 66 games in what was his best offensive season at any level in the past decade.

In other Atlantic Division notes:

  • NHL Insider Chris Johnston tweeted today that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner remains insistent that his desire is to remain a member of the Maple Leafs long-term. Much has been made of Marner’s play in the recent playoff losses, but the 27-year-old remains one of the top point producers in the league. The chatter around Marner is likely to heat up as Toronto is coming off another disappointing playoff exit, and his situation is further complicated by his contract status. Marner has one year left on his current deal at a cap hit of $10.9MM and is eligible to sign an extension on July 1st. The Markham, Ontario native had a bit of a down year this season, failing to hit 90 points for the first time in three seasons.
  • David Alter of The Hockey News tweeted today that Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi told reporters that he would be open to extending his contract with Toronto beyond this season. Bertuzzi is an unrestricted free agent this summer after signing a one-year $5.5MM deal with the Maple Leafs last July. Bertuzzi hit the 20-goal mark for the fourth time in his career but likely didn’t have the season he was hoping for despite playing a career-high 80 games. The 29-year-old tallied 21 goals and 22 assists with Toronto and should receive a multi-year contract this summer after settling for a one-year deal in his first trip through free agency.

Maple Leafs Notes: Barbolini, Bertuzzi, Lyubushkin

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In what has become a typical transaction over the last several years, the AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Marlies, has brought in an undrafted collegiate free agent on a two-year deal. The team announced a short while ago they had agreed to terms with forward Matthew Barbolini, who will finish the remainder of the season on a PTO.

Barbolini recently wrapped up a four-year career with Miami University of Ohio, becoming a significant point producer along the way. Overall, Barbolini will finish his career with 125 games played, scoring 36 goals and 86 points.

Now joining the Marlies system, Barbolini will join a team that is currently in a heated battle for playoff positioning in the AHL’s North Division. Currently sitting in third place, Toronto is only five points ahead of the sixth-place Laval Rocket.

Other Maple Leafs notes:

  • The Maple Leafs are set to be without winger Tyler Bertuzzi on Saturday due to illness (Twitter link). Bertuzzi has been on a hot streak lately, with five points in his last five games. His hot streak comes thanks to great chemistry alongside Auston Matthews and Max Domi, who he’s played with over the last few games. Toronto is expected to ice Matthew Knies in Bertuzzi’s top-line role on Saturday – a prime opportunity for the Leafs’ prodigal rookie.
  • Joining Bertuzzi on the list of Maple Leafs’ players who will not be present for the game this evening is defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, who is still out with an illness according to TSN’s Mark Masters. Since coming over from the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline, Lyubushkin has suited up in seven games for Toronto, tallying two assists while averaging 16:07 minutes of ice time. Battling this current illness, however, Lyubushkin has been unable to enter the Maple Leafs lineup for the past three contests.

East Notes: Bertuzzi, Marino, Biondi

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Maple Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi is listed as a game-time decision for their game tonight against Edmonton due to illness, notes TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link).  Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that Bertuzzi will ultimately decide at game time if he will be good enough to go.  Bertuzzi wasn’t able to secure a long-term deal last summer, ultimately settling for a one-year, $5.5MM agreement with the hopes of having a big year to improve his value.  However, the 29-year-old has had a quiet first season with Toronto, notching 15 goals and 19 assists in 67 games, his lowest point-per-game average since his rookie year back in 2017-18.

More from the East:

  • The Devils are expected to welcome defenseman John Marino back to the lineup tonight, relays team reporter Amanda Stein (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has missed the last week with an upper-body injury.  Marino has fared better in his second season with New Jersey, putting up 23 points in 65 games so far while logging over 21 minutes a night.  Based on the morning skate, they won’t waste any time putting him back into a key role as he’s projected to play on the top pairing versus Ottawa.
  • Canadiens prospect Blake Biondi has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal, reports Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune. The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick back in 2020 (109th overall) and has spent the last four seasons at Minnesota-Duluth.  Biondi had 19 points in 34 games this season and could have become a free agent in mid-August if he hadn’t signed an entry-level deal with Montreal by then.  Instead, he’ll push that deadline back by a year and play his bonus season at a new school in the hopes of finishing up strong.

Atlantic Notes: Johnson, Rafferty, Newhook, Bertuzzi, McMann

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Veteran Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson is drawing some interest ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast Friday. Johnson is currently on injured reserve and is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, although he’s eligible for activation and hasn’t been ruled out of Saturday’s game against the Sharks.

The 35-year-old is in his first season with Buffalo after signing a one-year, $3.25MM contract in free agency last summer. He hasn’t been the defensively-stabilizing force they hoped for, given the price tag. He’s playing a career-low 14:11 per game and, despite the restricted usage, has a poor 46.1% Corsi share at even strength, 5.5% worse than the Sabres’ share without him on the ice. He’s notched three goals and no assists through 41 games, although they weren’t expecting him to be a factor offensively at this stage in his career.

With Buffalo’s playoff chances down to below five percent, they won’t be buyers at the deadline. It’s unlikely they ship out any high-profile names, either, but Johnson’s role on the team has already dried up, and they could get some value back for him by retaining 50% of his cap hit. His 961 games of experience and a Stanley Cup ring with the Avalanche in 2022 are both points of emphasis for contenders looking to shore up their blue line this time of year, and he carries a small bit of added trade value as a right-shot defender.

Elsewhere from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Red Wings have assigned defenseman Brogan Rafferty to AHL Grand Rapids, the team said in a statement Friday. This is the sixth straight day that the 28-year-old Rafferty has been ferried between leagues. Detroit has brought up the minor-league mainstay on game days only to serve as last-minute injury insurance with Ben Chiarot sidelined with an undisclosed ailment. Rafferty has yet to play an NHL game this season despite his four recalls in January.
  • Canadiens forward Alex Newhook skated Friday for the first time since sustaining a high-ankle sprain in early December, the team said. The 22-year-old is nearly eight weeks into his 10-to-12-week recovery timeline, so his return to the ice today means he should have enough time over the next month to gear up for a return. Acquired from the Avalanche last June via trade, the 2019 16th-overall pick was on pace for a career-high 47 points before the injury.
  • Maple Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi is back with the team Friday after missing Wednesday’s 1-0 overtime win over the Jets for paternity leave, TSN’s Mark Masters reports. Bertuzzi will be available for the second half of Toronto’s home-and-home with Winnipeg on Saturday, although the Maple Leafs will need to clear a roster spot for him to return. He was placed on the non-roster list, which kept their active roster at 23 when Ryan Reaves was activated from injured reserve earlier in the week. Per The Hockey News’ David Alter, depth forward Bobby McMann was not at practice today, suggesting he may be headed for the waiver wire in the next few hours for the purpose of assignment to AHL Toronto. Bertuzzi has had strong possession impacts in his first season with the Leafs but has struggled to produce in a top-six role, scoring six goals in 45 games.

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