NHL Teams Embarrassed After Tyler Bertuzzi's Maple Leafs Deal

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James Connelly
July 3, 2023 (9:53)

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NHL teams are feeling embarrassed after watching what Tyler Bertuzzi signed for in Toronto.

Bertuzzi's Contract

The salary cap's lack of increase over the past couple of years has hurt many teams in their pursuit for a Stanley Cup. With teams lacking spending money, they are forced to either trade assets to free up some cap space or lowball potential free agent candidates.

The latter is exactly what happened with forward Tyler Bertuzzi.

Bertuzzi was widely considered the number one free agent forward and teams were salivating at the possibility of adding a playoff style player like him. However, despite his talents and the depleted market, he did not receive any offers he was happy with and ended up signing a one-year deal in Toronto worth $5.5 million.

Other Teams Reactions

With Bertuzzi signing for under market value, teams are reacting and wondering if they did enough to get a talent like him.

Tyler Bertuzzi could have signed with several teams on a 1 yr deal. Florida, Nashville, Carolina among them. Teams are almost embarrassed with the lack of money they can offer. He's betting a yr with Matthews/Marner will set him up nicely as a UFA next summer.

Brad Treliving offered Bertuzzi a nice contract but he went well over the in season salary cap to do so. Currently, the Leafs need to sign Ilya Samsonov and are $8 million over the in season salary cap.

The Leafs knew they would have no better time to acquire a player like Bertuzzi and decided to go all in when they could which will see them make a few big trades this offseason to compensate for the Bertuzzi signing.

As seen on Blade of Steel - NHL teams reportedly 'embarrassed' by what they were able to offer to Tyler Bertuzzi after he signs with Maple Leafs