Maple Leafs Lose Free Agent Forward to Blackhawks: Report

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Tyler Bertuzzi with the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs will have to find a replacement for pending free agent forward Tyler Bertuzzi as it’s been reported he has a deal in place with the Chicago Blackhawks.

According to former NHL and Maple Leafs player Jay Rosehill, Bertuzzi sign his contract once free agency starts on July 1 at 12 p.m. ET.

“I’m hearing Tyler Bertuzzi will sign with Chicago tomorrow at Noon ET…,” Rosehill wrote on X on July 1.

Former Sportsnet analyst and current Leafs Morning Take director Nick Alberga confirmed the report, adding that Bertuzzi’s contract with the Blackhawks is expected to be a four-year deal.

“Sounds like a four-year deal #Blackhawks,” Alberga reported on July 1 before the opening of free agency.

Bertuzzi signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Maple Leafs on July 2, 2023. At the end of the season, there was mutual interest in an extension, but the forward played well enough to price himself out of Toronto.

The Leafs forward will leave Canada with in 80 regular-season games under his belt. He scored 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points in Toronto, adding 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points in 7 postseason matchups.

Tyler Bertuzzi Priced Himself Out of Maple Leafs’ Reach

Late on June 30, one day before the free-agent market opens, Darren Dreger of TSN reported that Bertuzzi wouldn’t be re-signing with the Maple Leafs after playing one season with the team.

“Tyler Bertuzzi won’t be returning to the Maple Leafs. His value has out priced Toronto. He will land a deal elsewhere in the 4 year and over $5 mil per territory,” Dreger reported.

Dreger’s report, while coming hours before the two indicating the Blackhawks are the team winning the Bertuzzi sweepstakes, aligns with the latest information touching on the details of the contract.

After playing a bridge season in Toronto during the 2023-24 campaign, Bertuzzi finally got his long-term deal, spanning four years.

Maple Leafs-Bertuzzi: Mutual Interest But Impossible Reunion

There was a mutual interest between Bertuzzi and the Leafs to keep their partnership going. Bertuzzi confirmed it during his end-of-season interview in May.

“That’s definitely something I’m open to,” Bertuzzi said, as David Alter of The Hockey News reported on May 7. “I really enjoyed myself this year. Coming into a new place, especially Toronto, it’s not easy. It took me a little bit on the ice to get going. But off the ice, the guys were great. Everything was top-notch. Me and my family really enjoyed our time here.”

The Maple Leafs faced a tough decision having to choose one of their two pending free agents at the position. The franchise opted to re-sign Max Domi, offering him a four-year deal on June 30.

With Bertuzzi gone and Domi and fellow Leaf Timothy Liljegren back in the books, Toronto enters July 1 with $12 million in cap space.

Toronto has 11 forwards under contract. They also have six defensemen in their active roster and will add a seventh defender to the blueline corps after they sign Chris Tanev.

Finally, the Maple Leafs will also need to sign a goalie as Toronto only has Joseph Woll under contract for next season with the tandem of Martin Jones and Ilya Samsonov entering unrestricted free agents.

Antonio Losada covers the NHL for Heavy.com. A veteran sports writer based in Spain, Antonio has covered the NBA, NFL and soccer for over 10 years, with bylines at SB Nation, FanSided, Yahoo Sports, FanGraphs, RotoBaller and more. He has also been nominated for multiple FSWA awards, including Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and DFS Writer of the Year. More about Antonio Losada