For Kyle Davidson, his free agency this year was very different from prior years’.
He came into this offseason with the goal of taking the next step, and after taking a chance on trading for Ilya Mikheyev, it was time to address other holes in this line-up via free agents. The first big signing of the KD era comes in the form of Tyler Bertuzzi.
How We Got Him
Even though the market isn’t open until 11 a.m. central time, we have a pretty solid idea where some of the biggest names are going. I believe it was a shock to a lot of people, Tyler included, when it was reported that he had come to terms with the Hawks. Once it could become official, the real numbers came out, and the Hawks have signed the forwards to a four-year deal with a 5.5 million dollar cap hit per year. Now when I say it was a shock to Tyler, thats because in his introduction interview he talked about how the Hawks weren’t even on his radar until he got a call from unofficial team captain Nick Foligno. The two played a little bit together in Boston after Tyler was traded there at the 2023 trade deadline. After hearing Nick’s pitch and seeing what was being built in Chicago, he took the leap of faith and joined the rebuilding team, crossing off the fourth original six teams off the list in the process.
Scouting Report
The 29-year-old is coming into his 10th NHL season, and if you had the chance to see him play, you know exactly what you are getting from him. He is a grit-type player who has no problem doing what it takes to get under his opponents skin. Despite this aspect of his game, he does surprisingly well to stay out of the box, with a career high of 53 penalty minutes coming last season. While he plays the agitator role well, what shouldn’t go unnoticed is his offense skill. After putting up 62 points in the 2021/22 season, he had a hard time finding his scoring touch, putting up only 30 points in 50 games, which was split between the Wings and Bruins. He did have a solid bounce back year in Toronto that saw him play a career high 80 games, reach the 20-goal mark, and finish the season with 43 points. Depending on who he gets lined up with, his energy will no doubt bring life to the Hawks offense, and he could continue to see his goal-scoring take off for the better.
My Expectations
Tyler is one of those interesting players that you hate when he’s on the other team but would love for him to be on your team. I think he is going to get a major role on this team that is going to give him every chance to succeed, and I think he is going to start the season on the wing with Bedard and Kurashev. I also think he is a lock for PP1 minutes and will not only be looked at as someone to put the puck in the net but also protect Bedard when they are out there. If he can draw a few penalties even better, and I am sure we will see him do it. I don’t think he is going to have a career year stat wise, but I do believe he is going to come close or at least improve on last year’s line of 21-22-43. His career best line was 30-32-62 back in 2021/22, and if he spends most of the season playing with Bedard, those numbers could definitely be in range.
