The thought all along from reporters was that the Leafs would have to choose between keeping Domi or Bertuzzi. However, it appears that GM Brad Treliving is trying to keep the pair of gritty forwards in the blue and white, even after completing the Max Domi deal.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, with Domi locked up, the Leafs continue to hammer away at a new contract with Bertuzzi.
Bertuzzi has reportedly been willing to work with the Leafs on both term and money, remaining very flexible, as he wants to stay in Toronto.
With Domi coming in with a $3.75M cap hit, it would be surprising to see Bertuzzi end up with anything significantly higher given that Domi finished with 47 points to Bertuzzi's 43. Although Bertuzzi hit the 20-goal mark, Domi can also play down the middle, so it will be interesting to see where the common ground dollar-wise will be for the two sides if they are able to reach a deal before noon tomorrow.
The most logical deal is a 3 or 4-year pact in the same neighborhood as Domi's $3.75M AAV, perhaps slightly higher due to his penchant for scoring goals. Could a 4-year deal at around $4M-$4.25M be enough to get a deal done? Time will tell.
