Red Wings Recall Tyler Bertuzzi, Now Let’s See if They’ll Play Him

The Red Wings have recalled Tyler Bertuzzi. Here’s the press release from the team:

DETROIT - The Detroit Red Wings today recalled left wing Tyler Bertuzzi from the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins.

Bertuzzi, 22, has appeared in 16 games with the Griffins this season and has logged 14 points (7-7-14). The Sudbury, Ontario, native has points in six of his last seven games for Grand Rapids, totaling eight points (4-4-8) over that span, including two goals and one assist in the team's matinee game at Chicago on Thursday. The third-year pro has played in one game for the Red Wings in 2017-18 and has totaled eight NHL appearances over the past two seasons. Bertuzzi made his NHL debut on Nov. 8, 2016 at Philadelphia and also helped the Griffins capture their second Calder Cup championship in five seasons during the 2016-17 campaign. He logged 37 points (12-25-37) in 48 games during the regular season and added 19 points (9-10-19) in 19 postseason games to win the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the AHL Calder Cup Playoff's most-valuable player.

Originally drafted by the Red Wings in the second round (58th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Bertuzzi has played parts of four seasons for the Griffins and has registered 82 points (32-50-82) and 204 penalty minutes in 137 regular-season games in addition to 39 points (23-16-39) and 68 penalty minutes in 42 postseason games. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound forward spent four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League prior to his professional career, notching 172 points (72-100-172) and 325 penalty minutes in 201 games for the Guelph Storm from 2011-15. He was an OHL champion in 2014 following 17 points (10-7-17) in 18 postseason games and was named to the 2015 OHL Second All-Star Team after picking up 98 points (43-55-98) in 68 games during his final major-junior season.

It seems like it was only yesterday that I wrote about Bertuzzi being assigned to Grand Rapids, but it was nine whole days ago.

I hope that this time he gets more of a shot than he got the last time he was up. Without repeating what I wrote last time too much, even though Bertuzzi is not likely to be a major part of the Red Wings going forward, he hasn’t really gotten a chance to show what he can do in a long NHL look.

We know what we have in players like Luke Witkowksi and David Booth. Neither player is going to grow into more than he is now. But Bertuzzi could be a solid bottom 6 guy for the team going forward.

The team needs to get the younger players up when they are ready to see what they have at the NHL level. Bertuzzi is clearly ready to get a chance. I hope he gets a chance this time.