Boston Bruins News: Pros and cons of the Tyler Bertuzzi trade
By Zachary McMahon
On the day before the trade deadline on March 2, the Boston Bruins traded for forward Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings for a 2024 top-10 protected first round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
This has been a busy trade season for the Boston Bruins as they also traded for Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals. Orlov has been showing up for the Bruins as he’s scored 3 goals and 5 assists since he arrived in Boston.
The Bruins also traded Providence Bruins goaltender Keith Kinkaid to the Colorado Avalanche for Shane Bowers. Kinkaid is a veteran goaltender who was the first to callup when either Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman had to be out due to injury, and started one game for Boston this season. Bowers has played one game for the Avs, where he spent the majority of his time in the AHL affiliate Colorado Eagles.
Bertuzzi’s trade comes at a time when the Bruins need more depth as Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno and Brad Marchand are all banged up with injuries. Although Bruins Head Coach Jim Montgomery said that Marchand should be okay and should be able to play in the Saturday Afternoon game against the New York Rangers.
Pro: Bertuzzi won’t waste his talent with Boston Bruins like he did with Detroit
Ever since Bertuzzi started playing for the Red Wings in the 2016-2017 season, the Red Wings have never made the playoffs. The last time the Red Wings made the playoffs was in 2016 when Bertuzzi was with the AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins.
Currently, the Red Wings are five points behind the New York Islanders for the final wild card spot with 65 points, and it is highly contested behind the Islanders for the final wild card spot. The Red Wings are 1 point behind the Sabres, Senators, Panthers and Capitals in the wild card. So it’s highly unlikely that they’ll make the playoffs.
The Red Wings have been cleaning house since Wednesday, they traded Filip Hronek and a 2023 fourth-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks for the Islanders conditional 2023 first-round pick and the Canucks’s 2023 2nd round pick. This morning, they traded Jakub Vrana to the St. Louis Blues for a 2025 7th round pick and prospect Dylan McLaughlin.
As the Bruins became the fastest team in NHL history reach the 100-point threshold in the win against the Sabres last night. Bertuzzi will be in better company as he gets to contribute to a potential Stanley Cup final run through the rest of the regular season and the playoffs.
Con: Boston Bruins have a chance at the lottery but may lose it or trade it away
The Red Wings is the 10th worst team in the league, which means that they could be in the top-10 which is protected. However, at their spot they could very likely go from 11-15, which means the Bruins would get it.
Besides the lottery pick, the Bruins traded away their first-round pick to the Capitals in the Orlov trade, and since has gone to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the trade for Rasmus Sandin on Tuesday.
Next. 3 most important Boston Bruins players down the stretch. dark
The last time the Bruins had a lottery pick, it was in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and it was defenseman Charlie McAvoy, which has been a great pick for the Bruins, as he recently scored an overtime goal against the Calgary Flames.
Given how good the Bruins are doing this year, they likely won’t need a lottery pick as they’re probably going to trade it away during the offseason or at the draft, depending on where the Red Wings end up.