Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen posted a Tuesday-night column discussing the urgency with which the Red Wings face in terms of re-signing or trading Tyler Bertuzzi this summer:
Tyler Bertuzzi is a 30-goal scorer. He’s a belligerent player, always frustrating to play against. Whenever there,’s trouble on the ice, Bertuzzi is first in line. Bertuzzi is tough and fearless. He’s is character. Funny. Over-the-top. Crazy. On a podcast, Red Wings forward Oskar Sundqvist called Bertuzzi a “hillbilly goofball.”
He means that as a compliment. Sundqvist enjoys Bertuzzi’s personna. Without question, Bertuzzi is one of the more popular players in the dressing room.
Bertuzzi contributes in a variety of ways to the Detroit organization. He has such a unique skill set that it would be impossible to replace him.
Their first priority is to re-sign him. That’s best for the team. But if the Red Wings can’t reach an agreement with Bertuzzi on new contract, they need to trade him. It’s not complicated. It’s simple. He is such a valuable asset that it would be irresponsible for a rebuilding team like the Red Wings not to deal him.
