Tyler Bertuzzi Rumours Show the Toronto Maple Leafs Have Learned Nothing

The Toronto Maple Leafs doubled-down, then they tripled-down.

At one time, the Toronto Maple Leafs were a high-flying, exciting young team with all the potential in the world.

As time went on and the team failed to win (always, for some reason, including the early-career playoff losses of Auston Matthews as "failures" and coming up with wildly exaggerated numbers like "eight straight years of playoff failure") the team lost its' nerve and then continually tried to add "playoff style" players to their team.

When it didn't work (because it was always nonsense) they kept at it, culminating in putting Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner into the playoffs with the worst puck-moving blue-line in the league.

In conjunction with misguided attempt to emulate hockey's dumbest cliche (the one about grinders being more important to playoff success than talented players) the Leafs blocked the development of their young players at every turn.

Just some examples of what I mean: Scratching Liljegren in the playoffs, bringing in players like Jarnrkok and Domi whose salaries mean they automatically prevent prospects from taking middle-of-the-roster roles where they can excel, not starting Joseph Woll in the playoffs even though the GM didn't think the team was worth adding to at the trade deadline, etc.

Yesterday there was a rumour that the Leafs were engaged in contract talks with Tyler Beruzzi that ,if true, show that they have learned nothing.

Tyler Bertuzzi Rumours Show the Toronto Maple Leafs Have Learned Nothing

Tyler Bertuzzi is about as good as you can be in the NHL without being a star player. In any given year he may or may not give a star-level performance, but he's approaching 30 and has limited upside.

He is good, and I'd happily have him on the team. However - Bertuzzi is a winger and an unrestricted free-agent who is almost certainly going to be overpaid if the Leafs give him any kind of term or raise.

It's hard to get value from UFA players, especially name-brand ones.

Furthermore, the Leafs have three players who are younger, have higher potential, and who have earned more ice-time with better players. These players are Matthew Knies, Nick Robertson and Bobby McMann.

Next year, they will combine to make less than Tyler Beruzzi, and they will all likely score more than he does, since they will get one year closer to their primes and Bertuzzi will be on year further removed from his, and since they already did score at a higher rate than he did last year.

With Mitch Marner and William Nylander taking two of the four winger spots in the top-six, it makes absolutely zero sense to spend $5 million + on Tyler Bertuzzi that will force at least one of Robertson/Knies to the third line.

The Leafs not only have winger depth, they have upside in that depth, and that depth is cheap.

So why add a player at the one position that you are deep in?

The Leafs could use an expensive centre to move Tavares to the wing or Holmberg to the 4th line centre role. They need at least three defenseman, including at least one very expensive one.

They also need a goalie, an expensive one.

So to recap: the Leafs need expensive players at every position except the one Tyler Bertuzzi plays. They also have younger players ready to replace Bertuzzi, and ones who are not only cheaper, but who have already shown they can score more than he does.

And yet, apperently they are intent on bringing him back.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have learned nothing.