Tyler Bertuzzi comes to the defense of his captain, breaks his stick on Evander Kane's face; is Bertuzzi the right target for the Leafs?
There are multiple pieces who are potentially available to the Leafs for the right price at this year's trade deadline, but the challenge for Kyle Dubas and company is figuring out which is the right piece. One of the players who could be on the move who might make some sense for the Leafs is Red Wings winger Tyler Bertuzzi.
Why Bertuzzi? Well, he can play in the top six, he has shown that he can be a productive player, he plays with an edge and, most importantly, he sticks up for his teammates. Just last night against the Edmonton Oilers, Bertuzzi got into a post-whistle altercation with Evander Kane after Kane took a bump from Moritz Seider and went down just a little too easy, resulting in a penalty. Bertuzzi took exception to Kane's dive and drove the butt end of his stick right into Kane's face and, in doing so, snapped the shaft of his stick.
Following the play, Kane decided he wanted to mix it up with Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, taking a swing at him and grabbing him to try to start a fight. Bertuzzi then went right after Kane once again, grabbing him by the head and neck and wrestling him to the ice where the two continued to tussle.
Honestly, this is the type of guy the Leafs need in the lineup. It may not be enough to have only Michael Bunting there to mix things up after the whistle. Yes, Wayne Simmonds is around, but at his advanced age and with his declining skill set, the Leafs don't want to dress a guy whose only purpose is to drop the gloves. They also have Mark Giordano in the lineup, but as the NHL's oldest skater, the Leafs can't rely on him going after someone post-whistle every night either.
Having a guy like Bertuzzi in the lineup could be a real difference-maker for the Buds. Having a top line trio of Michael Bunting, Auston Matthews and William Nylander complimented by a second line trio of Tyler Bertuzzi, John Tavares and Mitch Marner could be a ton of fun to watch and could give the Leafs a bit of an edge in terms of perhaps drawing a few extra penalties. It also helps that Bertuzzi can help out on offense as well.
The main concern with Bertuzzi is obviously his health. After notching 62 points in 68 games last season, Bertuzzi missed a lot of time. He has skated in just 18 games this season and has managed only 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points. It will take him some time to get going, but once he does, he's likely to produce more than half a point per game - likely even more on a potent offense like what they have in Toronto.
I trust that Dubas and company have their eye on Bertuzzi as there is some pre-existing interest there. Time will tell though whether or not Bertuzzi is the right piece in their minds. We'll know the answer to that question by March 3rd.
| POLL | ||
8 FEVRIER | 230 ANSWERS Tyler Bertuzzi comes to the defense of his captain, breaks his stick on Evander Kane's face; is Bertuzzi the right target for the Leafs? Is Tyler Bertuzzi the right fit for the Leafs at the deadline? | ||
| Yes | 135 | 58.7 % |
| No | 95 | 41.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
