Bertuzzi played with Foligno in Boston during the 2022-23 season with the Bruins. The veteran Foligno, 36, played for the Blackhawks in the 2023-24 season, appearing in 74 games and scoring 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points.
Former Maple Leafs forward Bertuzzi completed his one-year contract in Toronto with 80 appearances, scoring 43 points (21 goals, 22 assists).
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson acknowledged Foligno’s influence on July 5, saying the veteran has “a lot of friends around the league,” including Bertuzzi.
“I think Nick’s got a lot of friends around the league,” Davidson told reporters. “He’s a guy whose network is very large. It’s kind of funny when we hear that. We don’t ask them to do these things, but Nick cares. He knows a lot of people, loves the team, and wants to push this thing forward.”
Blackhawks Bet on Experience to Surround Connor Bedard
Foligno joined the Blackhawks in June 2023 alongside rookie phenom Connor Bedard. He signed a two-year extension in January 2024, lasting until the end of the 2025-26 season.
Bertuzzi is joining Foligno on his own four-year deal with the Blackhawks. Chicago seems to be entering the second phase of their rebuild, aiming to sign veterans to support Bedard’s development and create an environment for the rookie to lead the Hawks back to contention.
The Blackhawks signed eight players in free agency, including forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen, which GM Kyle Davidson said “elevated our group.”
Along with Foligno in the summer of 2023 and Bertuzzi in July 2024, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson signed forwards Craig Smith, Teuvo Teravainen, and Pat Maroon, as well as defensemen T.J. Brodie and Alec Martinez, and goalie Laurent Brossoit.
Among these free-agent signings, only Joseph Anderson is younger than 29, and except for Bertuzzi, none signed contracts longer than three years, per Spotrac.
“We want to be better,” Davidson said. “We want to be able to go into games and impose ourselves more than we have in the past, rather than trying to stem the tide or having teams take it to us. We want to play with the puck more, control the game, and obviously get more wins as a result.”
Tyler Bertuzzi ‘Out Priced’ Himself From Toronto
Bertuzzi’s departure from the Maple Leafs wasn’t due to poor performance; in fact, it was quite the opposite. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on June 30 that Bertuzzi wouldn’t re-sign with the Leafs primarily because his impressive production had “out priced” him from the team.
“Tyler Bertuzzi won’t be returning to the Maple Leafs. His value has out priced Toronto. He will land a deal elsewhere in the 4-year and over $5 million per territory,” Dreger reported.
This prediction came true when the Blackhawks signed Bertuzzi to a four-year contract.
The possibility of Bertuzzi’s exit had been anticipated since mid-June. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Leafs were “nervous” about the term that both Max Domi and Bertuzzi might demand.
“I know Domi wants some term,” Friedman said on June 12. “I think Max Domi is a perfect Leaf. He’s going to be happy to be here for a long time. I think Toronto is nervous about the term. If they can find a term number that makes sense to both sides, then I think it happens.
“Bertuzzi is the interesting one,” Friedman added. “I think they want to bring him back. But again, the Leafs are trying to be really careful about term. If they lose some of these players, it’s probably going to be because of term more than AAV.”
Ultimately, the Leafs let Bertuzzi go but signed Domi to a four-year, $15 million extension on July 1.