The Detroit Red Wings have taken care of their (third) biggest off-season priority, as Todd Bertuzzi has agreed to a two-year extension.
"It’s just a really good fit for me," the forward said. "My kids were so pumped when they found out we’re going back for two more years — now my son gets to stay in his hockey program, and they get to go back to the same schools."
The biggest issue for Bertuzzi was money and consistency. He wanted a two-year deal after jumping around the league the past few seasons, but also didn’t want to take much less than what he made last season in Detroit. It appears he got both.
"Playing with guys like Pavel Datsyuk and (Henrik Zetterberg) was great, but so was just being able to fit into the system," Bertuzzi said. "It’s just a great group of guys to be around."
Bertuzzi scored 18 goals and 44 points last season, playing all 82 regular season games and all 12 playoff games. The deal is for a little more money than I anticipated, but it really does show that the Wings badly wanted him back. There weren’t many better options on the free agent market for the price they got Bertuzzi.
Detroit will now have $54 million committed to 18 players for next season, about $4-5 under the expected cap.
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