The Leafs, in turn, would like to re-sign the top-six winger.
Whether the sides are able to get to the point that Bertuzzi puts his autograph on a new contract, however, is another matter.
“We’ve had productive talks,” Todd Reynolds, the agent for Bertuzzi, said on Tuesday. “But the player realizes that there are other areas for the team to address. We’ll see where it goes.”
Those areas Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has to address, whether through free agency when it opens on July 1 or through trades, are rather obvious.
With that it mind, it’s likely the reason why that, while the sides have talked, there has been no solid offer made to Bertuzzi by the Leafs.
In goal, Treliving has to add a netminder of significance to play with Joseph Woll.
On the blue line, Treliving has the chance, if he can make it work, to bring in three defencemen. The Leafs have three top-six D-men — Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe and Simon Benoit — under contract for 2024-25. Timothy Liljegren is a restricted free agent and is eligible for arbitration.
At forward, Treliving has to find a third-line centre, whether it’s Max Domi or someone else.
The space under the salary cap for Treliving, who will get a primary assist from assistant general manager Brandon Pridham in any signings, to use will be a shade under $20 million US.
The priorities in Toronto are a goalie, defencemen and a centre.
Will there be enough money left to re-sign Bertuzzi? It wouldn’t appear so, but that could change. Bertuzzi made $5.5 million on a one-year deal in 2023-24, finishing with 21 goals and 22 assists in 80 games thanks to a better second half. The starting point for the 29-year-old Sudbury, Ont., native on his next contract, presumably, would be at least $5 million.
If the Leafs can’t keep Bertuzzi, you can be sure they’ll be looking at Matthew Knies and Bobby McMann to take another step offensively, and perhaps for Easton Cowan to make an impact beyond a nine-game look.
There isn’t the feeling that the Leafs could re-sign both Bertuzzi and Domi while comfortably taking care of what they have to accomplish in goal and defence.
On Bertuzzi and the other issues, we’ll have some clarity in a couple of weeks.
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