The Detroit Red Wings are headed for another offseason that will surely bring additional changes within the organization as they continue their rebuild under the tutelage of GM Steve Yzerman.
Forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who is coming off a one-year contract signed last offseason, is set to become a restricted free-agent. According to Bertuzzi, contract negotiations between Yzerman and his agent have yet to begin, as he was focused solely on the recovery process of the surgery that felled him for the majority of the 2020-21 regular season.
“The only thing we talked about was my recovery process,” Bertuzzi said.
“That’s something that I’m going to try and build off,” Bertuzzi said. “It was frustrating to watch the guys go out there every night and not be out there. I’ll do everything I can to build off (that start) and have a fresh start next season.”
With seven points in the first nine games, Bertuzzi was Detroit’s leading scorer at the time of his injury in late January against the Dallas Stars. However, the hard-nosed forward states that he’s feeling good.
“I’m feeling good right now,” Bertuzzi said. “I know it’s early but I’m looking forward to next season for training camp and for the summer ahead.
“I’m really confident. I’m feeling good.”
Bertuzzi didn’t think much of the injury at the time until he noticed that something was wrong in Detroit’s next game.
“You wouldn’t have thought anything of it,” Bertuzzi said. “There was a (Dallas) guy coming off the wall and I hit him and just bounced off him and fell on my side. It was a weird and awkward play.
“(But) I felt it right away. My back shifted and it was weird. I tried to play the next game (against Florida). I played two periods and that was it. I couldn’t move.”
His repeated attempts at a return during the regular season proved unsuccessful.
“I was feeing real good. I was doing pregame skates with the taxi squad and doing some drills, and slowly I was feeling pretty good,” Bertuzzi said. “Then we were starting to amp it up, and in Carolina I did a bag skate to get my cardio up and I felt good during it. But as soon as I got off (the ice), 30 minutes later, my back seized up on me again and that was the setback right there.
“It was frustrating. I was doing everything I could to get back. I had a few shots in my back that helped me come back and I was making real good progress. Then I had a little bit of a setback (in Carolina).”
The nephew of former NHL All-Star and Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi, the Red Wings selected Tyler 58th overall (Round 2) of the 2013 NHL Draft. During the 2019-20 NHL Season, Bertuzzi led all Red Wings scorers with 21 goals (27 assists) while putting up a career high 48 points.
