Tyler Bertuzzi
Finally, we have last season’s second-half breakout Leafs star in Tyler Bertuzzi.
After signing a one-year deal with Toronto during the 2023 offseason, he got off to a slow start and endured a miserable first half to the 2023-24 season. However, Bertuzzi became a revelation down the stretch, ended up with 20 goals and some of the best advanced stats on the team.
In doing so, it revitalized his offensive prowess, as he registered 14 goals and 7 assists for 21 points in his final 26 games. With his strong finish, it ended up netting him a huge contract with the Blackhawks this past offseason as he signed a four-year deal worth $22 million. Certainly at that price, there was no way Toronto was going to retain him.
But what has Bertuzzi done so far for Chicago this season? In 18 games played, he has recorded only 5 goals and one assist for 6 points while averaging similar in ice time as his last season with the Leafs.
At this rate, he is on pace for only 27 points this year, which would be his lowest total in a non-COVID-shortened season since his rookie year back in 2017-18 with the Detroit Red Wings. For someone getting an average annual salary of $5.5 million, that production is just not good enough. (All stats from hockey-reference.com and naturalstattrick.com, and all salaries from PuckPedia.com)
Had the Leafs kept Bertuzzi, together with the currently struggling Max Domi as well, they would have had close to $9 million tied up with two players that are on pace to score less than 30 points each on the season.
Moreover, with the departure of Bertuzzi, both Matthew Knies and Bobby McMann have stepped up their games and have been productive in the Leafs top-six so far this year. As a result, at almost half the cost of Bertuzzi for the both of them combined, they have definitely given great value back to the Maple Leafs in helping to their early success in 2024-25, making the loss of Bertuzzi a distant memory.