Things just have not gone as planned for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi this season. After being forever linked to the club either during the off-season or at previous trade deadlines, the Maple Leafs finally got their man during the 2023 free agent frenzy on a one-year deal. Bertuzzi was seen as the cream of the crop of their many moves over the summer, but as we reach the final quarter of the regular season, the organization is still awaiting his offensive game to take a leap.
After scoring 21 goals in back to back seasons between 2018-2020, Bertuzzi took an even greater leap in 2021-22 after returning from an injury riddled 2020-21 season that saw him play just 9 games, Bertuzzi kicked things up a notch in 2021-22, scoring 30 goals and 62 points in just 68 games. The following season, he was dealt to Boston ahead of the deadline, but finished the year on a high note, adding 16 points in 21 games for his new club.
Bertuzzi was trending in the right direction, but for whatever reason, he has struggled to the tune of just 6 goals and 21 points in 50 contests with the Leafs. He is playing at a career-low pace in points per game, never having scored less than 21 goals in a season where he played 50+ games. Currently riding an 18-game goal drought, Bertuzzi was seen hard at work during practice as he partook in a skills session with Auston Matthews and Max Domi in an attempt to try to snap his slump:
After going through a stretch of 13 games where he fired just 17 shots on goal - which included 5 games without a shot - Bertuzzi has done a much better job at creating chances even if they're not going in for him right now. He has 12 shots in his last 5 games and has seen his ice-time rise to 16:26 ATOI. It's not ideal or what was expected out of him this season, but at this rate, it's good to see him making an impact elsewhere.
