The Chicago Blackhawks’ offense has spent the opening stretch of the season stuck in the mud, and Tyler Bertuzzi has become one of the clearest reasons why.
Through 13 games, Chicago is averaging 2.08 goals per game, the second-worst mark in the league. Connor Bedard was out to start the season, but even since his return, the Blackhawks have managed only 15 goals in seven games.
The answer doesn’t have to come from outside the organization just yet. There’s plenty to fix with the roster that’s already here.
Bertuzzi is high on that list. Signed at a modest $5.5 million cap hit, he looked like the kind of bargain piece who could settle in as a 40- to 50-point forward. Instead, he hasn’t come close to looking like the same player so far.
In 13 games, the 31-year-old has two goals and three assists for five points, a pace that would put him at 32 points over a full season. That would be his lowest total since 2022-23, when an injury limited him to 50 games, and it would also mark the worst full-season output of his career.
There is at least some reason to believe he can climb out of it. Bertuzzi has remained in the top six, and his usage has been favorable.
Last season he spent most of his time with Frank Nazar and Teuvo Teräväinen, or with Bedard and André Burakovsky. This season, he has been skating with 19-year-old Anton Frondell and Ryan Donato, but not having his usual partner from a year ago in Teräväinen may be quietly affecting his start.
That previous Bertuzzi-Teräväinen combination worked well. Last season, the pair helped drive a line that produced ten goals for and five against.
This year, with Frondell at center, that same grouping was Chicago’s best offensive line, posting three goals for and one against. That is the kind of look the Blackhawks should consider revisiting if they want to get Bertuzzi moving again.
The skating numbers are just as concerning. Bertuzzi has 41 speed bursts between 18 and 20 miles per hour, about 28 below the league average, and only one burst between 20 and 22 miles per hour, which is roughly 15 below average. The league average is 2.80 miles per game, and he has cleared that in only two of his 13 games.
For a player expected to be a meaningful part of the top six, that has to improve. He needs to get his feet under him and at least hit league-average production, let alone the level Chicago was counting on.
If he doesn’t, the conversation could turn quickly to coach Jeff Blashill and then to the front office. Bertuzzi is on pace for the worst season of his career while playing a major role, and if the slide continues, the Blackhawks may have to consider other options.
A dependable 40-plus-point depth scorer on a manageable cap hit would draw interest from contenders, and Bertuzzi’s eight-team no-trade list gives Chicago some flexibility. If the Blackhawks can’t get him going, he could become a piece that brings future assets back into the rebuild.
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Oliver Moore Just Gave Blackhawks Fans A Reason To Keep Watching
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The bigger takeaway for the Blackhawks is that Moore did not look overwhelmed by the opportunity. Coaches and teammates have continued to praise his potential, and his work in the faceoff circle stood out as another sign he can help in more ways than one. For a team still searching for reasons to stay engaged, Moores recent stretch has at least offered a glimpse of a young player who may be ready for a larger role sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]