Tyler Bertuzzi set his resignation tomorrow…
Tyler Bertuzzi was considered to be the archetype of what previous iterations of the Toronto Maple Leafs were sorely missing, the crown jewel of a polarizing first offseason for new general manager Brad Treliving.
Bertuzzi carved out a reputation as a 30-goal player while providing the requisite toughness — or “snot,” as Treliving became fond of — to augment a talented Maple Leafs team that never lived up to the sum of their parts during the playoffs.
One month into the season, Bertuzzi hasn’t delivered on either promise after signing a one-year, $5.5 million deal this offseason. Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe appeared to be fed up with the 28-year-old during Thursday’s overtime loss to the Boston Bruins, demoting him to the fourth line, paired alongside Pontus Holmberg and Ryan Reaves during the third period.
“He just needs to simplify his game,” Keefe said of Bertuzzi post-game via Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. “Today we had a very simple plan, and he failed to execute that, so other guys had to take his place.”
