Detroit Red Wings: The importance of Tyler Bertuzzi

Embed from Getty Images As the Detroit Red Wings continue to sort out players who will be on the roster when the rebuild reaches it’s end, one player that is sure to be there is Tyler Bertuzzi. Last season Bertuzzi (or Bert as he is known to teammates, coach’s and fans) became the first Detroit Red Wing player ever to record four consecutive three-point games.

Tyler Bertuzzi isn’t flashy. He is not the fastest, or strongest, or quickest or flashiest player on the ice. That is perfectly fine with the Detroit Red Wings organization. What Bertuzzi is, is a hockey player, who does the hard work and gets results.

2018-19 stats: 73 games, 21 goals, 26 assists, 47 points, plus-11 rating, 36 penalty minutes, put Bertuzzi on the map. It gets better for the young forward, named NHL’s second star of week on April 1 after tallying 10 points three goals, seven assists in four games. Career highs in goals, assists and points. … First career hat trick Jan. 12 at Minnesota in 100th career game.  Six power-play points three goals, three assists.  Tied for team lead with four game-winning goals. Tyler Bertuzzi led the  team in plus-minus rating plus-11 at home, even on road. Bertuzzi also led the team in shooting percentage 16.0%. Showing some defensive skill Tyler was third on team in takeaways 34.  winning 33%  of faceoffs 10-of-30. Showing he is not afraid to get under opposing teams skin, Bertuzzi was suspended two games Dec. 4-6 for punching Colorado’s Matt Calvert from bench. Tyler missed seven games Feb. 1-14 due to a concussion.

Those are working mans numbers. Make no mistake it was Bertuzzi’s ability to play the same type of hard working game every night that made Bertuzzi’s season so successful. Tyler Bertuzzi’s first full NHL season was a huge success. Bertuzzi, showed he can be an offensive threat in addition to providing grit, physicality and abrasiveness. He has a knack for being around the puck and he goes to the hard areas with reckless abandon , in the corners and in front of the net, making him an ideal complement on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha.

Tyler Bertuzzi has flashed his worth and is they type of player the Detroit Red Wings need going forward.