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Bertuzzi Deal More Difficult than Expected

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Ansar Khan revealed things are not going so good on the Todd Bertuzzi front. Bertuzzi has been offered a two-year deal, but it looks like it’s for less money on average than he made last season, otherwise he probably would have signed by now.

“We have interest in him coming back. I think he’s interested in coming back,‘’ Red Wings General Manager Holland said. "But it’s a cap world. We only have so much to offer."

My guess is the deal is worth between $2.5-2.8 million over two seasons, which is less money on average than the $1.5 million he made last season. Detroit probably front-loaded the deal, offering him the same $1.5 million salary for next season, then dropping it down the next year like they did with the Holmstrom contract.

Detroit has between $5-6 million in cap space to spend, and needs to leave enough room for restricted free agents Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader, Patrick Eaves and Drew Miller, as well as a veteran defenseman, possibly Andreas Lilja. If Bertuzzi can’t be signed by July 1, the Wings will have to dip into free agency to try and find a replacement.