3 important moves the Toronto Maple Leafs made this summer
Leafs not re-signing Tyler Bertuzzi
The Leafs reportedly tried to re-sign Tyler Bertuzzi, but the 29-year-old forward priced himself out of Toronto. He ended up signing a four-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks worth $5.5 million annually.
Bertuzzi registered 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points in 80 games with the Leafs last season. He averaged 16 minutes of ice time per game and provided some sandpaper with 98 hits. The Leafs gave him more ice time in the playoffs (18:35) but did not provide as much offense as the Leafs would have liked. He registered one goal and three assists for four points in seven playoff games for the Leafs.
Once the Leafs signed Tanev and re-signed Domi, there wasn't enough cap space to give Bertuzzi the amount he wanted. However, by not re-signing Bertuzzi, the Leafs can give more playing time to players like Matthew Knies and Bobby McMann. Losing Bertuzzi could become a blessing in disguise. Knies and McMann had good rookie seasons and could really take that next step with more playing time.
On the other hand, losing Bertuzzi could neutralize any gains from getting Tanev. The Leafs lost a star forward, but gained a star defenseman. Since they are the NHL's reigning top scoring 5v5 team, this seems like a no-brainer. However, there is the problem of depth scoring in the playoffs, and losing Bertuzzi makes that worse.
It was a surprise when Treliving signed Bertuzzi to a one-year deal for $5.5 million last off-season, but it wasn't a surprise when they couldn't keep him for the same amount. I think Bertuzzi would have been welcomed back with open arms by the players and fans, but it wasn't meant to be.
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Hopefully, other players will be able to step up and fill that gap on the left wing. My bet is on Knies benefitting the most from Bertuzzi leaving.