Projections for Tyler Bertuzzi should create some excitement in Leafs Nation this season
When the Maple Leafs announced the signing of UFA winger Tyler Bertuzzi to a 1-year, $5.5M contract this summer, there was plenty of excitement in Leafs Nation about the deal. There were also some concerns, however, as the oft-injured winger has missed significant time in throughout his career due to persistent health concerns, primarily regarding his surgically repaired back.
Bertuzzi split time between Detroit and Boston last season, competing in 50 regular season games and 7 playoff games. A year prior, he played 68 games and a year before that, he was limited to just 9. Most of the concern surrounding his signing with the Leafs this summer is around whether or not he can play 65, 70, 75 games. If he can, he's going to be a difference-maker for this team, make no mistake about it.
On Thursday, popular Leafs fan site "The Leafs Nation" dropped an article projecting what type of season we should expect from Bertuzzi in 2023-24. Spoiler alert: The expect big things from Bertuzzi this season. Per the article, 30+ goals and a career high in points is the benchmark for what they'd view as a successful season for Bertuzzi in Toronto.
These totals are very attainable for Bertuzzi in 2023-24, playing alongside the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander. In 68 games in 2021-22, Bertuzzi posted 30 goals and 62 points playing with lesser players in Detroit. While he amassed just 30 points in 50 games last year split between the Bruins and Red Wings, it's important to note that he was coming off of a significant injury and looked stellar in the playoffs, racking up 5 goals and 10 points in just 7 games, so his more recent history looks much better.
Can Bertuzzi return to 30-goal form? Can he top his previous career best 62 points? Like TLN, we think he can. The biggest question here is his health. Thankfully, the Leafs have one of the top medical teams in the entire NHL. I'm sure they examined Bertuzzi's medical records before pulling the trigger on a deal, knowing that he's fully healthy this summer. The team's medical staff and trainers will work with Bertuzzi to set up a regiment that will give him the best chance to remain healthy this season. If successful, I don't think 35 goals and 75 points is out of the question, even if he only plays 70-75 games.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 1 | 97 ANSWERS Projections for Tyler Bertuzzi should create some excitement in Leafs Nation this season Will Tyler Bertuzzi reach 35 goals this season? | ||
| No, definitely not | 23 | 23.7 % |
| Yes, I believe he will | 53 | 54.6 % |
| He'll exceed that for sure | 16 | 16.5 % |
| 35 goals? He may not even play 35 games | 5 | 5.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
