Bertuzzi traded to Bruins by Red Wings for 2 draft picks

BOSTON --Tyler Bertuzzi was traded to the Boston Bruins by the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

The Red Wings received a conditional first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft (top-10 protected) and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Detroit will retain 50 percent of Bertuzzi's salary.
"I'm excited for this opportunity," Bertuzzi said Friday. "I guess I had an idea that I was gonna be getting traded. Didn't know where, but I'm very happy that it's here, and I'm looking forward to get going.
"Obviously a special group here. I met most of the guys today, coaches, everything, so it's gonna take me a little bit to get used to everything, but I'm excited."
When told of the trade, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery had an instant reaction.
"My first reaction was, 'Boom,'" he said with a grin. "I stuck out my knuckles to general manager Don Sweeney]*
The news was "discouraging" on two of their forwards Thursday, as Sweeney put it, with Taylor Hall placed on long-term injured reserve and Nick Foligno on injured reserve. Hall has 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) and Foligno, who is having a rejuvenated season, has 26 (10 goals, 16 assists).
Hall has missed three games because of a lower-body injury sustained against the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 25; Foligno left a 4-3 win against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday with a lower-body injury.
"In both Taylor's and Nicky's injury situation, yeah, it took an unfortunate turn for us," Sweeney said. "There's no real timeline for either one of those players in terms of when they're going to be available for us. … It definitely created a situation for us that we felt we had to fill a hole."
Sweeney did not rule out surgery for either player, though he said that it was not on the table at this point. He did call the situation "not short-term" and indicated that one or both might be out until the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That was what prompted the team to make the deal for Bertuzzi.
"We'd been monitoring the marketplace," Sweeney said. "But you develop a sense of urgency that we may have to add something because if it's undetermined or unavailable for the rest of the season -- and potentially the playoffs -- you have to see. It became a priority."
Bertuzzi, a 28-year-old forward, is in the final year of a two-year contract he signed with the Red Wings on July 31, 2021, and can become an unrestricted free agent July 1. He has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 29 games this season, and has missed time because of hand injuries.
"Just the depth that he brings. He has that playoff style," Bruins forward Brad Marchand said. "He plays very, very hard. He's skilled. He's gritty, he gets to the side. … he shows up big when it matters. He's just one of the guys that, come playoff time, it's huge to have guys like that in the room, and again, the extra depth that it brings [to] our group is incredible. He can play anywhere in the lineup. [Power play, penalty kill]. He's just one of the guys who makes it better out there, so it'll be a great addition. Looking forward to getting him here and getting the deadline over [with], and just moving forward with the group."
Selected by Detroit in the second round (No. 28) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Bertuzzi has 202 points (88 goals, 114 assists) in 305 regular-season games with the Red Wings, including an NHL career-high 62 points (30 goals, 32 assists) in 68 games last season.
"I think just the way he plays, he's very unique in his style," Detroit captain Dylan Larkin said. "I've said it many times. It doesn't look pretty, but it's highly effective. His stick's flying everywhere, and hair is flying everywhere. He always comes up with a big toothless smile and is always the first one to laugh if something happens. … Yeah, it's going to be tough. I've always really loved playing with him and feel like I'm at my best when I play with him, but he's going to a team where they're loading up for war, and there's no one I'd rather have on my team than Tyler Bertuzzi in that situation."
Bertuzzi is the latest acquisition by the Bruins. They acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway in a three-team trade involving the Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild on Feb. 23.
"Everybody knows what kind of a grind it is to not only just get in the playoffs, but once you're in, potentially seven games time four series," Bruins president Cam Neely said. "It's a grind, it's a battle. So to have players that have that physicality and ability to get through those rounds, I think is very important for us."
Boston extended its winning streak to nine games with a 7-1 victory against the Buffalo Sabres at TD Garden on Thursday. The Bruins are 20-4-1 in their past 25 games.
The Red Wings lost 5-4 in overtime to the Seattle Kraken at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday. They're five points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
"Hate losing 'Bert'," Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. "A really good person. Even Bert's game, he's been trying to come around with his team game. He's limiting turnovers. Those extended minute-20 shifts that he has in his game, he's shortened his shifts up for the betterment of the team. He's done a lot of good things."

NHL.com columnist Nick Cotsonika and independent correspondent Joe Pohoryles contributed to this report