![]() ![]() Which means being ready to get the puck at all times. Matthews and Marner play at frenetic speeds. “I think it’s just a feel thing, and just knowing where each other are at on the ice at all times.”īertuzzi will have to find his way into that dynamic, especially the pace. “We like to play fast and utilize each other on the ice,” Matthews said of himself and Marner. Part of his challenge in Toronto will be worming his way into the already well-established Matthews-Marner connection. And indeed, Bertuzzi ticked off 12 assists in 21 regular season games for the Bruins and another five in seven playoff outings. Looking back on Bertuzzi’s brief spin with the Boston Bruins last year, Keefe couldn’t help but notice all the juicy looks he created for his linemates. “He doesn’t get enough credit for his ability to make plays,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said of Bertuzzi. How much can Bertuzzi punch things up for his new linemates? Bertuzzi wasn’t playing with Matthews and Marner (and sometimes, William Nylander) as Bunting was, but Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond aren’t bad players either. 1,000 minutes) and just outside the top 100 in primary assist rate. He ranked 87th in five-on-five assist rate over the past two seasons (min. “But I think he’s more talented than I ever thought.”īunting found a home next to Matthews and Marner. “He competes and he plays hard around the net and he has that style of play that we all know him for in terms of (being) strong on the puck, good hands around the net, gritty,” Rielly said of Bertuzzi. But he was nonetheless surprised by what he saw watching up close. Rielly faced Bertuzzi plenty over the years. “I’m always surprised when people can keep up or play at their level,” Rielly said. Morgan Rielly was taken aback the first time he skated with Bertuzzi at one of the team’s informal skates prior to training camp.įirst was the fact that Bertuzzi looked as though he could actually hang with Matthews and Marner. But still, the question remains: Will Bertuzzi click with Matthews and Marner? And if he can’t, what then? Nick Ritchie famously didn’t even make it a month (which led to Bunting’s opportunity).īertuzzi is a much better player than Ritchie obviously. It takes a certain type of player to fit in with players like Matthews and Marner, two stars who like to hang onto the puck and play give-and-give with one another, two stars with mind-melding capabilities. Zach Hyman landed a seven-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers after spending most of his six seasons in Toronto playing next to Matthews (and occasionally, Marner).īertuzzi joined the Leafs on a one-year contract, which means a chance to cash in next summer with a long-term deal if he puts together a big year in Toronto.īunting’s success (until an untimely unraveling), and Hyman’s before him, was no accident though. Bunting put together back-to-back 20-goal seasons running shotgun with Matthews and was rewarded with a three-year contract worth $13.5 million in Carolina. (Any spot next to Connor McDavid is pretty cushy, too.)įind a way to fit in there and the rewards can be glorious. It’s maybe the cushiest job in hockey, playing left wing alongside two of the very best players in the league. Enter Tyler Bertuzzi, the player the Leafs hope will click with Matthews and Marner this season. ![]()
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