Boston Bruins acquire Tyler Bertuzzi from Detroit Red Wings for picks

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis
Boston Bruins acquire Tyler Bertuzzi from Detroit Red Wings for picks
Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Bruins made a big splash on Thursday morning, acquiring coveted forward Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Boston’s protected first-round pick in 2024 and a fourth-round pick in 2025.

Bertuzzi was drafted 58th overall by the Red Wings in the 2013 NHL Draft and has spent his entire career there to date. He only has four goals and 14 points this season, but an upper-body injury to start the year, and a lower-body injury a few weeks ago has limited his season to just 29 games.

Bertuzzi is known for his aggressive and gritty style of play, similar to his uncle Todd Bertuzzi, who made a career of being a tenacious forward for 18 seasons. Tyler has been a consistent offensive producer for the Red Wings, scoring at least 20 goals and 40 points in each of the last three seasons. 

The Wings will retain $2.375 million of Bertuzzi’s $4.75 million AAV deal that runs until the end of the season.

The Boston Bruins have been an unstoppable force this season, sitting 13 points clear of Carolina (86 points) with a league-leading 99. Boston’s 47-8-5 record is putting them on pace for one of the best seasons in NHL history, highlighted by a wild 24-2-3 record at home and their current eight-game win streak.

The club also added Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway last week, so the addition of Bertuzzi makes them an even more difficult team to play against.

Thurdsay’s move comes as Taylor Hall sits out due to a lower-body injury. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Hall is seeking a second opinion into his injury, which will dictate how much time he’ll miss.

For the Red Wings, the deal comes as the team continues its retooling. Detroit now has four first-round picks over the next two years and eight picks in the first two rounds of the next two drafts. GM Steve Yzerman offloaded Filip Hronek to Vancouver yesterday in exchange for the New York Islanders’ first-round pick and the Canucks’ second-rounder this year.

So, buckle up. The rich just got richer. We’ll see how other Eastern Conference teams respond.

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