Tyler Bertuzzi sent back to Grand Rapids, is it the right move?
By Sam Blazer
7 years agoAs players begin to return from injuries, corresponding moves have to be made. The first being Tyler Bertuzzi being sent down to the Grand Rapids Griffins’. The diminutive forward didn’t play much in his time with the team but established himself enough that it felt like he should’ve stayed up. What is the team thinking with this move?
Our very own Daily Faceoff put it simply and plainly for anyone wondering why Bertuzzi didn’t stick.
“Bertuzzi failed to record a point while averaging 9:58 TOI in three games with the Red Wings during his call-up. With Anthony Mantha playing well in his season debut and the Red Wings wanting to get Drew Miller back into the lineup, they have returned Bertuzzi to the AHL, where he’ll get more playing time.”
In three games played, he only put up two SOG and had a paltry 5v5 CF% of 28.5. Over the course of an entire season he may be on par with the likes of Steve Ott and Drew Miller but tentative play didn’t allow for him to stick longer.
His scoring totals in the AHL haven’t been great either, he needs more seasoning and at 21, where is there to go for Bertuzzi. He isn’t a home run by any stretch, yet he still has value in the organization. Having been very critical of Wings’ moves in the past, this one isn’t a bad one on the surface or when you dive deeper into the numbers.
Nothing is working right now for the Wings, Bertuzzi was an experiment well worth trying. Hopefully more outside the box thinking is used throughout the season before things get out of hand.
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