Detroit — The Red Wings kept busy during this off-season Saturday, signing Tyler Bertuzzi to a two-year contract.
Bertuzzi, a restricted free agent, agreed to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million ($4.75 million per season salary cap hit). The two sides were able to agree on only a one-year contract the previous summer — worth $3.5 million -— with Bertuzzi filing for arbitration.
Bertuzzi will be an unrestricted free agent when this contract ends.
Bertuzzi, 26, was limited to nine games this past season before a back injury that required surgery ultimately cut short his season. Bertuzzi got off to a fine start, with five goals and two assists (seven points) in those nine game.
Having begun off-season training, the Wings are expecting Bertuzzi to be ready to begin training camp in September.
During the pandemic shortened 2019-20 season, Bertuzzi set career highs in assists (27) and points (48), while scoring 21 goals for a second consecutive season. Bertuzzi was the Wings’ representative at the All-Star Game that season.
Bertuzzi has played in 208 games with the Wings, with 54 goals and 72 assists for 126 points.
With Bertuzzi signed, the Wings still have Jakub Vrana, Filip Hronek, Adam Erne and Givani Smith as un-signed restricted free agents. Only Vrana and Erne are arbitration eligible, the deadline for filing being Sunday at 5 p.m.
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan