When the free agency period opened up, many wondered what direction Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving would take in order to improve the roster of his team. If his first four signings are any indication, it’s one that’s completely different than the one former general manager Kyle Dubas took.
Needless to say, it’s a direction that many Stanley Cup champions have in common in regards to their team. They’re highly skilled, but have the tenacity and competitive drive throughout the lineup. While all the new Maple Leafs acquisitions provide some upside, none stand out more than the addition of Tyler Bertuzzi.
A point producer in his own right, Bertuzzi provides a consistent element that this team has lacked for some time. This team has addressed bringing in players that are tough to play against in the past, but it had mixed results. Bertuzzi is definitely a tough customer, but can play to a high level that will make the Maple Leafs’ top-six tougher to play against.
Can Play With Top Players
It was another injury plagued season for Bertuzzi, as it was once again tough for him to stay healthy. But when he is, he’s definitely an impactful player.
Bertuzzi had 14 points in 29 games with the Detroit Red Wings and another 16 when he was traded to the Boston Bruins. While that may not seem like much, he has shown to produce as he had 62 points in 2021-22. To produce that well on a Red Wings team that’s on the rise is impressive, but it’s who he is playing with that gives the Maple Leafs hope that the production can continue along with the bite to his game.
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Last season, Bertuzzi played with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, spending 17.1% of the time together. Even with the limited minutes and missed time due to injury, Bertuzzi still had good results with two of the Red Wings’ top players. The line had an even-strength shots for percentage of 54.2 and a Corsi For percentage of 53.7, showing their ability to produce and generate good looks on net.
Even when he went to the Bruins, Bertuzzi continued to post good results as a top-six player. Bertuzzi spent 10.8% of the time with David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha, finishing with a 52.7 SF% and a 55.3 CF%. Zacha and Pastrnak were Bertuzzi’s best line mates in terms of production as well, with six points along with Larkin.
According to Natural Stat Trick, Bertuzzi helped out his line mates as they saw jumps in key statistical categories at five-on-five during the regular season.
| Category | Zacha & Pastrnak with Bertuzzi | Zacha & Pastrnak without Bertuzzi |
| CF% | 55.70 | 49.34 |
| xGF% | 49.10 | 47.93 |
| SCF% | 52.94 | 49.81 |
While Zacha may not be an elite player, he found his footing with the Bruins this past season as he posted career bests in goals (21), assists (36) and points (57). Pastrnak and Larkin on the other hand are established top line players, although with different skillsets. They play with a great amount of pace, controlling the play and produced extremely well during the season. Seeing as Bertuzzi managed to play with top names, the hope is that it can carry over with two more star-studded players in Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
During his introductory conference, he even loved the thought of playing with the two. That alone should provide a great offensive balance and spark the Maple Leafs’ top two players.
Bertuzzi’s Edge a Difference Maker
The Maple Leafs still lacked players that were hard and tough to go up against. That all changed as soon as they signed Ryan Reaves and Bertuzzi the following the day. Treliving said that players like them are essential to a team.
“We need a little bit more snot to our game,” Treliving said according to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. “At the most important times, the rink shrinks. There’s no space. You need courage. And we wanted to add players like that.”
That alone shows that the team needed players with an edge and a competitive nature that goes over the top. Bertuzzi brings that consistently as it was evident during the playoffs. While the Bruins faced an upset against the Florida Panthers, Bertuzzi was always noticeable. On the score sheet and extracurricular activities after the whistle.
With Michael Bunting leaving to go to the Carolina Hurricanes, they needed someone to match that edge and production. Bertuzzi is a massive upgrade in that regard as he can do it all. While he may not be as physical as Bunting, his intensity, ability to play at a high pace and provide the same production as Bunting still remains. Bertuzzi knows how to tread the line without crossing the line something that Bunting did quite often in the second half in the season.
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If there’s anything that the Maple Leafs should learn from their loss to the Panthers and even the Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup run is that you need everyone to buy in and play with purpose every night. They didn’t really rely on skill, but the work ethic and showed the killer instinct consistently. Bertuzzi has that mindset and it could be one that can push players like Matthews and Marner.
Bertuzzi’s Mentality a Big Addition
Bringing in a player the way that Bertuzzi plays will definitely bode well for a team that’s looking for a change in their team mentality. The Maple Leafs have always had players with skill and toughness but have always struggled to find players that possess both qualities.
When you see the way that teams are built for a long playoff, they have energetic, in-your-face and skilled players like Bertuzzi. While he’s not at the level of Matthew Tkachuk, he does have the same winning mentality that could be the difference maker between that long run or an early exit. Tkahcuk was brought in to provide a different maker for the Florida Panthers and it looked to have worked. We saw how much of an impact Bertuzzi had with the Bruins being tied for the team lead with 10 points in the postseason and could do the same for the Maple Leafs.
We’ll see how things pan out when the season starts, but the promise is that Bertuzzi brings is one that could greatly benefit the team.
Statistics from Natural Stat Trick, Dobber Frozen Tools and NHL.
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