This year's free agency was a lot different than the previous years for Kyle Davidson. He came into this offseason with the goal of taking the next step, and after taking a chance on trading for Ilya Mikheyev, it was time to address other holes in this line-up via free agents. The first big signing of the KD era comes in the form of Tyler Bertuzzi.
Scouting Report The 29-year-old is coming into his 10th NHL season, and if you had the chance to see him play, you know exactly what you are getting from him. He is a grit-type player who has no problem doing what it takes to get under his opponents skin. Despite this aspect of his game, he does surprisingly well to stay out of the box, with a career high of 53 penalty minutes coming last season. While he plays the agitator role well, what shouldn’t go unnoticed is his offense skill. After putting up 62 points in the 2021/22 season, he had a hard time finding his scoring touch, putting up only 30 points in 50 games, which was split between the Wings and Bruins. He did have a solid bounce back year in Toronto that saw him play a career high 80 games, reach the 20-goal mark, and finish the season with 43 points. Depending on who he gets lined up with, his energy will no doubt bring life to the Hawks offense, and he could continue to see his goal-scoring take off for the better.
My Expectations Tyler is one of those interesting players that you hate when he’s on the other team but would love for him to be on your team. I think he is going to get a major role on this team that is going to give him every chance to succeed, and I think he is going to start the season on the wing with Bedard and Kurashev. I also think he is a lock for PP1 minutes and will not only be looked at as someone to put the puck in the net but also protect Bedard when they are out there. If he can draw a few penalties even better, and I am sure we will see him do it. I don't think he is going to have a career year stat wise, but I do believe he is going to come close or at least improve on last year's line of 21-22-43. His career best line was 30-32-62 back in 2021/22, and if he spends most of the season playing with Bedard, those numbers could definitely be in range.
Check out the Latest WCBPodcast