The Bruins’ ache is their chief divisional rivals’ acquire.
Tyler Bertuzzi, who’d been rightly looking for a long-term, big-bucks deal, settled for a one-year cope with an AAV of $5.5 million with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Ouch.
It just isn’t the deal he wished, nor one which was out there to the B’s after they had unique negotiating rights to Bertuzzi, apparently. The participant’s agent Todd Reynolds instructed ESPN they have been looking for a long-term deal from the B’s and so they couldn’t agree on cash. The two sides determined to go their separate methods and, by the point Bertuzzi’s camp determined one of the best route was a one-year deal, the B’s had allotted simply barely greater than what Bertuzzi signed for in Toronto.
The query is that if GM Don Sweeney, who stated on Saturday each time period and cash have been roadblocks to a deal for the 28-year-old, would have been keen to work to get that $5.5 million into his payroll construction. The B’s wanted to signal gamers. While Sweeney has been clear that jobs might be earned by a few of his younger Providence gamers like Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov, he wasn’t snug sufficient handy them jobs with out some competitors.
He spent $5.8 million on forwards Milan Lucic, James van Riemsdyk, Morgan Geekie, Patrick Brown and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, leaving him cash left over to signal RFAs Jeremy Swayman, Trent Frederic and Jakub Lauko, with maybe sufficient wiggle room to convey again both Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci within the seemingly unlikely occasion they resolve to not retire.
Things occur shortly on the opening bell of free company and Sweeney didn’t have the posh of ready to see if Bertuzzi would get boxed out.
If he thought Bertuzzi may have been had for the deal that he signed in Toronto, maybe he would have gambled on transferring different items, like buying and selling Matt Grzelcyk’s $3.687 million contract or actually rolling the cube and buying and selling Linus Ullmark’s $5 million contract (the concept of leaving the online to Swayman and Brandon Bussi by no means sounded as interesting to this observer because it has to others).
But the clock can’t be turned again. The B’s signed their guys. Bertuzzi landed within the enemy camp.
And despite the fact that it’s not the deal that Bertuzzi anticipated in his first foray into UFA waters, it ought to work out very nicely for him. Barring harm, taking part in in Toronto’s proficient top-six that as of the second boasts Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and William Nylander ought to assist him put up large numbers. When he takes one other crack at free company subsequent summer time when there’s anticipated to be a major wage cap enhance, he may money in on the kind of deal he anticipated this yr, and even higher.
He additionally makes the Leafs very formidable.
The signing of 37-year-old brawler Ryan Reaves to a three-year deal appeared like a drastic overreaction to the B’s signing of Lucic. But with Reaves and Bertuzzi collectively, the Leafs have extra moxie than they’ve had in a very long time.
We realized final yr to not make too many assumptions a few group in July. No one predicted at the moment final yr that the B’s would have a historic common season. You by no means understand how a group gels come October.
But as of proper now, it appears to be like as if the B’s are firstly of a bridge wherein the best hopes could be for a wild card spot.
Meanwhile, the Leafs should have some flaws on the again finish, and Bertuzzi’s free play across the blue traces will problem the D much more. But Toronto followers’ ever-present perception that that is the yr the Leafs may convey house the membership’s first Stanley Cup since 1967 sound rather less maniacal at the moment.
Source: www.bostonherald.com