Red Wings reportedly place Tyler Bertuzzi on trade block

It’s T-minus six days until the 2022 Trade Deadline, and some names are already off the board with more likely to come prior to Deadline Day. One of those names who’s making a late entry to the fray is Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi, according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. 

He reports that Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman is letting other teams know he’s “open for business,” with the sense around the league being Yzerman will entertain offers for any Red Wing not named Moritz Seider or Lucas Raymond. Bertuzzi is a desirable trade asset – he’s clicking at nearly a point-per-game clip this season and is locked into a $4.5M cap hit this year and next. 

However, he and Josh Archibald retain their status as the only unvaccinated players in the NHL, and he’s already missed nine games this season due to border restrictions. It remains to be seen whether teams will be willing to acquire him with the risk that he may not be available for half of a playoff series or more.

Some more trade notes as things heat up:

• As the Calgary Flames attempt to load up even further after acquiring Tyler Toffoli earlier this year, Seravalli speculates that Sean Monahan is a trade candidate to get shipped out of town prior to the deadline. Monahan’s continuously slipped down the depth chart this season and carries the lowest +/- rating on the team by far (-15). He has a paltry eight goals in 59 games and now sees time as the team’s fourth-line center, falling behind younger players like Dillon Dube. With Calgary needing to pay up big-time soon for pending free agents Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, freeing Monahan’s $6.375M off the books would likely be beneficial, with replacement players available within the organization.
• TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports the Toronto Maple Leafs are showing interest in San Jose Sharks defenseman Jacob Middleton for some added organizational depth. Middleton’s seen a career-high 41 games played in the NHL this year, scoring nine points, averaging 19:01 per game, and holding his own defensively. With Jake Muzzin still out with injury, he’d provide competition for players like Justin Holl, Travis Dermott, and Timothy Liljegren, and he would give Toronto a ninth NHL-caliber defenseman for a playoff run.