Could Tyler Bertuzzi be making his way back to the Boston Bruins? According to Keagan Stiefel of NESN.com, “Toronto would be in no hurry to trade Bertuzzi back to Boston and the Bruins (currently) aren’t able to take on the financial commitment. That won’t stop a possible reunion this offseason, however.” The idea surfaces as Bertuzzi faces intense criticism in Toronto for his poor play and missed assignments. Bertuzzi’s ice time has dropped like a stone in recent games and patience is wearing thin.
The latest issue came after Timothy Liljegren was taken out by Bertuzzi’s former teammate, Brad Marchand. Video surfaced of Bertuzzi laughing at the situation rather than going after the talented Bruins forward.
It’s a tad early to think too far into the idea of a reunion with the Bruins, but Stiefel writes that “as Bertuzzi continues to struggle north of the border, it’s something to keep an eye on.”
A motivated Bertuzzi adds the grit and the kind of sandpaper Toronto wants. When he’s playing his game, he’s the kind of power forward teams covet. But an unmotivated Bertuzzi – which it appears is what the Maple Leafs currently have on their hands – isn’t of much use. He’s not scoring (on pace for 14 goals this season), he’s not backing up his teammates and he’s not offering much of anything else. It’s why he’s sitting and being demoted game after game.
Why would the Bruins even want Bertuzzi back?
As one commenter to Stiefel’s article wrote, “We were lucky to get rid of him when we did. Let Toronto deal with his lapses in play. We are a much better team without Bertuzzi, Taylor Hall, Foligno, and Hathaway.” That begs the question, if Toronto wants to move on from Bertuzzi – either via trade or letting him walk in free agency – would the Bruins even contemplate bringing him back? With a 9-1-1 record, clearly, it doesn’t look like they need him.
The reason Bertuzzi left in the first place was because he was looking for a long-term deal. If he continues to play as he’s been playing, there’s no reason that the Bruins – who were already hesitant to meet his ask – would want to go all-in on a player who had a strong, but short run with the team.
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