TORONTO — Among the many placeholder veterans who won’t last long on this Blackhawks roster, it’s easy to forget that forward Tyler Bertuzzi theoretically will be a long-term piece through the rest of the rebuild and out the other side.
It’s somewhat worrying, actually, that Bertuzzi — only two months into a four-year contract — has been so indistinguishable from the Pat Maroon/Craig Smith tier of journeymen.
Coach Luke Richardson finally promoted Bertuzzi to the first line next to Connor Bedard on Monday, but they weren’t able to dent dialed-in Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz in a 4-1 loss.
Lukas Reichel scored the lone goal for the Hawks, who dropped their third straight despite out-shooting an opponent for the first time since Nov. 6.
Uniting Bertuzzi and Bedard was a long-overdue move. They hadn’t spent any regular-season games together prior to Monday even though Bertuzzi’s scrappy, rebound-seeking skills should complement Bedard well. Richardson would be wise to give them several games to try to build chemistry, and he implied that he would.
“It didn’t work offensively tonight, but they had some good shifts in the ‘O’-zone,” Richardson said Monday. “Taylor [Hall] gives them a little speed and [is] strong on the puck, Bert is usually around that net and Connor is a playmaker, so it’s the makeup of a good line. It just didn’t connect tonight.”
The Maple Leafs beat Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks 4-1 on Monday.
Doing so could potentially unlock more offense for Bedard, and that should be the Hawks’ top priority. But it’s also important for the Hawks to find a way to ignite Bertuzzi. The 29-year-old forward hasn’t produced like a $22 million man so far, with just 10 points in 25 games.
He has tallied a mildly encouraging four points (all assists) in his last six games, he also has only three shots on goal in his last 10. That’s a crazy stat, considering he previously had recorded at least eight shots on goal in every 10-game span of his career.
“He does some little subtle things that help people out,” Richardson said, staying positive. “We showed a clip the other day [showing how] he’s been skating much better and staying up on his feet and playing a full five-on-five game in the neutral zone.
It’s funny that Richardson commented on Bertuzzi staying up on his feet more, because his tendency to fall down often has become a running joke in some circles. Richardson also praised Bertuzzi’s forechecking, and he has definitely been more aggressive in that area in recent weeks. He has been an effective net-front pest on the power play, too.
But his lack of five-on-five impacts remains a concern. Most nights, the Hawks haven’t sustained enough offensive-zone possession time to allow him to establish himself just above the crease, and he isn’t agile or fast enough to contribute much off the rush.
The season is barely more than a quarter old, however, and Bertuzzi has a history of heating up as the season progresses. Given the current state of things, the Hawks would love for him to continue that trend this winter and next spring, although they might prefer more season-long consistency in the three years left on his contract.
With the Leafs last season, Bertuzzi generated nine points in his first 27 games (through Dec. 14), 13 points in his next 27 (through Feb. 22), then a whopping 21 — including 14 goals — in his final 26.
With the Red Wings and Bruins in 2022-23, he missed time because of injuries and had only five points in 17 games by the end of January. But then he found his stride and produced 25 points in his final 33 games, including 16 in 21 games after being traded to the Bruins. He carried that momentum into the playoffs, where he notched 10 points in seven games.