*Photo from MSN*
One year in Canada ended up being enough. LW Tyler Bertuzzi and the Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to a 4 year, $22 million contract, according to the Blackhawks. The team has confirmed the addition.
After signing a one year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, Bertuzzi is heading back to the U.S., signing a longer term deal with Chicago after the Maple Leafs reportedly tried to retain the 29 year old.
The contract Bertuzzi has in Chicago is comparable to his deal in Toronto. He made $5.5 million last year and will make the same money annually over all 4 years with the Blackhawks. He has a modified no trade clause for the first 3 years, with year one being a 12 team no trade list, year two being a 10 team no trade list, and year 3 dropping to 8 teams.
Chicago GM Kyle Davidson said of the addition "Tyler is a fantastic competitor who brings energy every night. He has enjoyed consistent offensive success throughout his career and we look forward to watching Tyler to continue to produce at the high level he’s shown he is capable of."
Last season proved to be Bertuzzi's only year north of the border. He amassed 21 goals and dished out 22 assists for 43 points, recording a +2 rating while averaging 16:03 of ice time per game over 80 games. He added another goal and 3 assists in 7 playoff games.
Bertuzzi has played for the Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and Detroit Red Wings over 8 seasons in the league. He has 113 goals and 148 assists to his name for 261 points, averaging 17:10 of ice time per game in 406 regular season games. He also has 6 goals and 8 assists to go with a -2 rating in 14 playoff games.
The Blackhawks were busy to open free agency after finishing as the second worst team in the league. They've already added Bertuzzi, Craig Smith, Pat Maroon, Teuvo Teravainen, Laurent Brossoit, and Joey Anderson around phenom Conor Bedard, with Taylor Hall also returning from a torn ACL.
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