It’s no secret that general manager Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs want to bring back pending unrestricted free agent Tyler Bertuzzi – but a deal has not yet come to fruition.
The mutual interest between Bertuzzi and Toronto truly stemmed at the near end of May with negotiations kicking off in the early stages of June. Now a couple of weeks since that point, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported on ‘X’ Monday that the two parties remain in contact with one another ahead of July 1.
“The #LeafsForever remain in contract negotiations with Tyler Bertuzzi’s camp. Still too early to determine where it goes, but I’m told both sides ‘continue to work at it’ ahead of him hitting UFA status July 1,” Pagnotta wrote.
Treliving has been adamant about his desire to retain Bertuzzi from the get-go, however, the length of the contract has become a possible barricade to hurdle over. Considering Bertuzzi turned 29 in February, the club seems hesitant to give out a lengthy contract with Treliving stating that any deal needs to “work” for the player and the team.
From Bertuzzi’s perspective, he stated at Toronto’s end-of-season media availability that he would welcome a return to Toronto.
"That's definitely something I'm open to," Bertuzzi said. "I really enjoyed myself this year. Coming into a new place, especially Toronto, it's not easy. It took me a little bit on the ice to get going. But off the ice, the guys were great. Everything was top-notch. Me and my family really enjoyed our time here."
The 6-foot-2 forward signed a one-year $5.5 million contract with the Leafs in July of 2023 and struggled to find his footing early on but still ended up with 21 goals and 22 assists in 80 games. In the postseason, where he makes his bread and butter, Bertuzzi had a goal and three assists through seven games of the club’s opening-round series against the Boston Bruins.
Before signing a one-year pact with the Leafs, it was believed Bertuzzi was interested in signing somewhere long-term. However, he settled in Toronto for the 2023-24 campaign, but with the rise in the salary cap, he’ll now be looking to cash in.
Considering all the changes expected up and down the lineup in Toronto this summer, Bertuzzi could still be a long-term option for the team. But, with an estimated $19.7 million in cap room according to Puckpedia.com and the team looking to restructure their goaltending tandem, address the blueline, and still add to the offense, the organization will have to be cautious of how they spread their money around.
