Bruins acquire Tyler Bertuzzi from Red Wings
BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins made a big trade last week, but they weren't done adding to their team.
On Thursday morning, Elliotte Friedman reported that he was "hearing" that Tyler Bertuzzi "may be going" to the Bruins from the Red Wings. Not long after, the Bruins made it official, sending a protected 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick to Detroit to complete the deal.
The Bruins already acquired Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from the Capitals last week. But with the NHL's trade deadline looming on Friday, and with the rest of the Eastern Conference loading up with additions, and with a couple of injuries to Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno occurring in recent days, Boston figured to have the potential to add another player. The 6-foot-1 Bertuzzi plays the left wing, just like Hall and Foligno.
Bertuzzi, 28, has just four goals and 10 assists in 29 games this year, after posting career-high 30-32-62 totals in 68 games a year ago. In parts of seven seasons with Detroit, he's scored 88 goals and recorded 114 assists for 202 points in 305 games. The Red Wings, sitting five points out of a playoff spot but needing to leapfrog five teams to secure a wild card, traded away their top-line left winger with him set to hit unrestricted free agency this coming summer.
At 47-8-5, the Bruins have the best record in the NHL, and will likely end up turning in one of the single-best regular seasons in NHL history. But with potential postseason matchups looming with the likes of the Lightning, Maple Leafs, Rangers, Devils and/or Hurricanes, it's clear that general manager Don Sweeney is putting everything he has into building his team up for a long playoff run.
