Tyler Bertuzzi Trade To The Boston Bruins Emerges

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Graham Montgomery
November 5, 2023 (3:49 PM)

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It is safe to say that things have not gone to plan in Toronto so far this season. While Auston Matthews is on pace for a historic season, the team around him seems to be slowly falling apart. Key offseason acquisitions have not been contributing and the team is now relying on Joseph Woll, a rookie goaltender, to keep their season alive. Big moves may be coming soon in Toronto.

Bertuzzi's Boston Reunion

Perhaps the biggest move the Leafs made this offseason was brining in Tyler Bertuzzi on a one-year, 5.5 million dollar contract. The team was hoping Bertuzzi would bring some much needed scoring depth while also having a positive impact on the team culture-wise, adding toughness and grit to the forward core. So far though, neither of those things have happened as Bertuzzi's start to the season has been particularly disastrous. The most notable incident that got him into trouble happened when the Leafs played Bertuzzi's former team, the Boston Bruins. His reaction to Marchand injuring Timothy Liljegren got Leafs fans, coaches, and upper management all ticked off in the same way.

Back To Boston

Now the Leafs are in a tough spot. Their season is perilously close to falling off the rails and they have almost no cap space whatsoever. When push comes to shove, something must give and that very well could mean a major trade is coming from the Maple Leafs. One idea is to send Bertuzzi back to the Bruins since he seemed to have so much fun with them. The Bruins are in a similar situation with the salary cap so any trade between the teams would be highly complicated, but not impossible. NESN's Keagan Stiefel addresses the complicated matter.

"Toronto would be in no hurry to trade Bertuzzi back to Boston, and the Bruins (currently) aren't able to take on the financial commitment...[however] As Bertuzzi continues to struggle north of the border, it's something to keep an eye on."

The Leafs may very well have to make a major move this season. Could Bertuzzi be a part of it?

As seen on Rumors Surface of Possible Tyler Bertuzzi Move Back to Bruins