Tyler Bertuzzi
Bertuzzi had a rough start in Toronto. He was seen laughing on the bench at Marchand after he gave Liljegren a can opener which led to a high ankle sprain.
After that Bertuzzi played much better and was much more physical and played his game more. He was snake-bitten and unlucky up until the All-Star break when the results started showing up.
He played 80 games, scored 21 goals and had 22 assists for 43 points. Something worth noting is the 80 games Bertuzzi was able to play in.
He has an extensive injury history and 80 games played is his new career high. It surpassed the 2018-19 season in Detroit where he played 73. Bertuzzi being so healthy was a welcome surprise for the Leafs but when looking at a new deal, that scares me. (all stats nhl.com all cap info capfriendly.com).
I like the player, I thought he performed well in Toronto and was a pest in the playoffs but a long-term deal would concern me. With him being 29 and an extensive injury history, this deal has a good chance of aging poorly.
By every report, the Leafs want to keep him but I do think he ends up leaving. I'd like him to stay on a shorter-term deal but I don't think that is realistic.
When free agency rolls around, I think a team will offer him a bigger deal with term and he ends up leaving. My prediction is Barry Trotz will continue the trend of signing Leafs in free agency and signing Bertuzzi to a five-year deal with an average annual value of 5.5 to 6 million.
I will keep track of my predictions on Twitter where you can follow me @MatteoG29_. I will also release another article where I do the same thing but for the expiring defenceman so look out for that as well.