The Boston Bruins have made another transaction before the NHL trade deadline on Friday at 3 p.m. ET.
The franchise announced the acquisition of forward Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday morning in exchange for a 2024 first-round draught selection (top-10 protected) and a 2025 fourth-round pick. The Red Wings will also keep half of Bertuzzi’s salary cap hit, bringing it down to $ 2.375 million. He can become an unrestricted free agent this summer, so this may be a rental situation.
Bertuzzi is a good playmaker who draws a lot of penalties. This season, the 28-year-old attacker has 14 points (four goals, ten assists) in 29 games.
Why would the Bruins part up a first-round pick for Bertuzzi? Injuries to Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno, for example, might put Boston’s depth to the test. Hall is scheduled to miss his third game in a row on Thursday night. Foligno was injured in the second period of Tuesday’s game against the Flames and did not return.
It might be troublesome if these two players, who have played vital roles for the Bruins, miss any significant amount of time. Bertuzzi, a left winger, may slot in on the third or fourth lines.
Last week, the Bruins acquired defender Dmitry Orlov and bottom-six forward Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals.
The Bruins have given up a 2023 first-round selection, a top-10 protected 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick, a 2024 third-round pick, and a 2023 fifth-round pick in these two transactions. Boston will not have a first-round pick until 2025 and will not have a second-round pick until 2026.
The Bruins are definitely focused on winning now, and it’s difficult to blame them for doing so. The Bruins began Thursday with a league-leading 47-8-5 record and the league’s strongest roster.
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