Steve Yzerman placed the Detroit Red Wings’ future above the present and traded Tyler Bertuzzi.
Yzerman sent Bertuzzi to the Boston Bruins on Thursday, for a conditional first-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft draft and a fourth-round pick in 2025. The Wings retain 50% of Bertuzzi’s salary.
The sides had been unable to gain traction on an extension, and with Bertuzzi eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer, Yzerman stood to gain a better return on Bertuzzi at the NHL trade deadline than this summer.
The Wings play the Bruins twice later this month: In Boston on March 11 and at Little Caesars Arena on March 12.