Maple Leafs have a real chance to reunite with fan favorite Tyler Bertuzzi
Photo credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
If the Toronto Maple Leafs wanted to bring back Tyler Bertuzzi they might have a shot according to a new Elliotte Friedman report.
Though he only spent one season with the Maple Leafs, Bertuzzi quickly became a fan favorite for his ability to not only add some potent offense to the mix, but bring a gritty edginess that was missing from the lineup.
He found chemistry with Auston Matthews, and he ended up putting together one of his best overall seasons both in terms of offense and defense. But quickly he found himself a member of the Chicago Blackhawks even though there may have been some issues with how they approached him.
Toronto would love to have a player like him back, especially this season considering he's tearing it up in Chicago and according to Elliotte Friedman that could be a realistic possibility.
Bertuzzi could be a trade candidate if Blackhawks keep free-falling
Appearing as a guest on The FAN Hockey Show on Monday, Friedman explained that with how Chicago has been playing, they could potentially dangle Bertuzzi to a contender if it brings back a good enough return:
Friedman was quick to note that there isn't a guarantee that he is going to be traded, but if a contender needs a gritty scoring presence for a playoff push then he could be up for grabs.
Toronto should bring back Bertuzzi for playoff push
Which is great news for his old team, the Maple Leafs. Not only would Bertuzzi add some much needed secondary offense, but he's already quite familiar with a lot of the roster and can find chemistry again quickly.
Not to mention in his brief playoff time in Toronto he was pretty successful with four points in seven games, and is a point-per-game player in the playoffs albeit in a small sample size (14 points in 14 games).
Acquiring him won't exactly be the easiest thing for Brad Treliving, but if Chicago wants to get younger and have some more youth in their rebuild then they could swap Bertuzzi for Matias Maccelli. Add in a pick or two and you've got a good deal all round.
He makes $5.5-million for this season and two more after this so it's not an expensive deal though Toronto has to be aware he is going to be 34 when his contract expires.
But if he can be the piece that pushes Toronto from the lower half of the Atlantic Division and into a playoff spot, then it'll be well worth the cost, and perhaps he's the one who can bring the spark back to Auston Matthews once again.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 30 | 1668 ANSWERS Maple Leafs have a real chance to reunite with fan favorite Tyler Bertuzzi Should Toronto trade for Tyler Bertuzzi? | ||
| Yes | 650 | 39 % |
| No | 1018 | 61 % |
| List of polls | ||