Boston Bruins forward Tyler Bertuzzi will not re-sign with the team before NHL free agency opens on Saturday and will instead test the open market, according to Elliotte Friedman.
The Bruins acquired Bertuzzi in March from the Detroit Red Wings for a pair of draft picks that included a conditional first-rounder. He played in 21 games for Boston, tallying 16 points on four goals and 12 assists. He was limited to 50 games total due to injury, recording 30 points on the season.
Bertuzzi was arguably the Bruins' best player during their first-round loss to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He scored five goals and added five assists in the first playoff series of his career.
The Bruins are expected to make a push to bring Bertuzzi back, especially after they traded fellow left winger Taylor Hall to the Chicago Blackhawks. It will be interesting to see what sort of deal Bertuzzi gets. He's shown flashes of being a dominant offensive player, as shown by his 30-goal campaign in 2021-2022. He has dealt with injuries as of late though, missing significant time in each of the last three seasons.
The Bruins could look a lot different next season after a record-breaking regular season. There are reports that Boston will not bring back captain Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci and there is mutual interest in a reunion between the Bruins and Milan Lucic.
Tyler Bertuzzi could still return to the Bruins next season and beyond, but he will see if he can find a better deal and/or situation on the open market.