The NHL trade deadline has arrived, but major moves occurred well before Friday. One major move involves the Detroit Red Wings and the white-hot Boston Bruins.
The Bruins acquired forward Tyler Bertuzzi from Detroit on Thursday. How does Bertuzzi fit within their team? Did the Red Wings get enough in return for their former star goal scorer? Here are the complete Tyler Bertuzzi trade grades.
Full trade
The Boston Bruins acquire forward Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings. In exchange, the Red Wings acquire a conditional 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
The condition on the first-round pick is rather straightforward. If the pick lands within the top 10 of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, it slides to an unprotected 2025 first-round pick.
Boston Bruins acquire Tyler Bertuzzi
The Boston Bruins probably didn't need to make this trade. They entered play Thursday with a 47-8-5 record, putting them head and shoulders above any team in the NHL.
Even after they made this trade, the Bruins proved they probably didn't need to make this trade. Boston lit up the Buffalo Sabres, defeating them 7-1 in front of their home fans.
So the Bruins didn't need to add a Tyler Bertuzzi to their lineup. But they did, and it just makes them that much better. Bertuzzi is a perfect fit for this team.
Bertuzzi has flashed the ability to score, netting 30 goals just last season. He is also a menace to play against. The new Bruins forward is not afraid to dish out a big hit or get down and dirty along the boards.
He's been hurt this season, playing in just 29 games. And that's been a reoccurring theme in his career to some extent. Bertuzzi played just nine games in 2020-21 after suffering a back injury early in the year.
However, when he is healthy, the 28-year-old forward is a dynamo. He flashes true goal-scoring ability and he can play on any of your first three lines just fine.
The Bruins placed Taylor Hall on long-term injured reserve. And there are questions about Nick Foligno's status for the rest of the season. So while they don't need Bertuzzi, the Bruins do well to acquire such a quality insurance plan.
Detroit Red Wings trade Tyler Bertuzzi
The Red Wings are still somewhat in the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. However, they are falling behind, and their Filip Hronek trade on Wednesday signaled the first domino to fall in a sell-off.
Unlike the trade of Hronek, this doesn't come as a surprise. Bertuzzi is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and he wasn't returning to Detroit. The two sides had vastly different ideas of what an extension would look like.
To that end, this is a very good move by the Red Wings. There is no reason to hold on to Betuzzi if he is going to leave for nothing in a few months. Acquire something and allow both sides to move on.
Detroit gets their second first-round pick in as many days. This one is also conditional, carrying a top-10 protection. While the Bruins likely won't be that bad, this pick could be more interesting than most believe.
The Bruins have a lot of older players with uncertain futures past this season. There is a non-zero chance that both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retire this offseason. If that happens, Boston likely takes a step back.
To get a pick like that for a pure rental player is a shrewd move on behalf of the Red Wings. Detroit continues to stack assets and build for the future.
Grades and final thoughts
Honestly, this is a wonderful deal for both sides, and they both receive high marks. Detroit wasn't bringing Bertuzzi back next season, so they make a move to acquire premium draft capital. Boston gets quality depth on the wings and vastly improves what is potentially the greatest regular-season team of all time. A true win-win trade if there is one.
Boston Bruins grade: A
Detroit Red Wings grade: A
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