The 2023 Trade Deadline has popped off; there are still three days to go. In what has been one of the wildest in recent memory, teams have rushed to acquire high-level talent in the days leading up to March 3rd. While plenty of deals have already been made, plenty will still happen between now and Friday at 3 pm. The New York Rangers finally acquired Patrick Kane in what is most likely their final trade before the deadline, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are the team to keep an eye on. After making three trades last night, the Maple Leafs have set themselves up financially to make another big splash, possibly with a new goaltender. One thing is clear Kyle Dubas is doing whatever it takes to get the Leafs out of the first round of the playoffs.
The Bruins have only made one big splash this deadline, as they acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway. These players addressed a need on the blue line and the Bruins fourth line. With all the other contenders in the Eastern Conference making moves, especially the Bruins division rival, general manager Don Sweeney may feel pressure to react. One thing is clear the Bruins could are still in the market for a right-wing that can score. This player will slide onto the Bruins third line and provide secondary scoring on a line that features Taylor Hall and Charlie Coyle.
One name that has reappeared on the trade market is Detroit Red Wings right winger Tyler Bertuzzi. It was initially thought the Red Wings would hang on to the 28-year-old with all the other teams in the Atlantic going all in, but the Wings have rethought their stance. Bertuzzi is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, and no extension has come to fruition. He is in the final year of a two-year, $9.5 million contract with an average annual value of $4.75 million. With the prices teams have shown they are willing to pay, general manager Steve Yzerman can cash in.
Bertuzzi would check many boxes for the Bruins as he is known for his gritty and tough play and being a goal scorer. Last season he recorded 30 goals and 62 points in 68 games for Detroit. Putting a player of Bertuzzi’s skill alongside Hall and Coyle would give the Bruins the best top three lines in the NHL and give Hall a highly skilled player, something he has been missing this season.
Dreger reports the asking price for Bertuzzi will be a first-round pick plus more. The Bruins currently still have their 2024 and 2025 first-round picks, plus all their prospects, as they have not dealt any away yet.
The Red Wings are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference Wild Card Race as they trail the Pittsburgh Penguins by three points for the second Wild Card spot. The Red Wings have missed the postseason six years in a row, and they face the reality it may be seven. Moving on from Bertuzzi and recouping a first-round pick instead of losing him for nothing this offseason is a win-win for Yzerman.
This may be the big splash Don Sweeney needs to answer the moves made by his rivals. If the Bruins are truly all bout going all in this season, this move makes the most sense as Bertuzzi is an upgrade over Frederic and allows Frederic to play on the fourth line with Foligno and Hathaway as Nosek heads to the bench.
While Bertuzzi represents one of the many players Sweeney can acquire, he has the makings of a Boston Bruin written all over his game. It will be a wait-and-see what the deadline mastermind has up his sleeve as Friday, March 3rd is only three days away. Until the deadline has come and gone, anything can happen over the next 72 hours, as we have seen over the past 24.
