Tyler Bertuzzi landing spots: Top free agency destinations after Maple Leafs extension talks fall through

Forward Tyler Bertuzzi won’t be returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs after extension talks fell through, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports. According to Dreger, Bertuzzi’s asking price is too high for the Leafs to fit under their current salary cap structure. So, Tyler Bertuzzi will test the market.

Dreger said the following per The Hockey News:

"He will land a deal elsewhere in the 4 years and over $5 mil per "territory.

With that in mind, here are three potential landing spots for Tyler Bertuzzi following his departure from Toronto:

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Three landing spots for Tyler Bertuzzi

#1 Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes will be looking for talented scoring wingers who could fill the gap left by Jake Guentzel’s departure. While Tyler Bertuzzi is no replacement for Guentzel, he could pick up some of the slack.

With a little over $26 million in cap space, the Hurricanes could take on Bertuzzi’s new contract, securing a middle-six forward with grit and toughness.

The Canes could use Bertuzzi on their second line while bumping him down to the third line, providing additional depth scoring.

#2 Calgary Flames

The Flames seem to be entering a rebuild after selling off a number of key players at the deadline and early this offseason.

The Flames still have a talented core in Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau. Adding Bertuzzi could give Calgary an added dimension to complement the team’s current roster.

The Flames have $28 million in cap space. So, they could afford to slide Bertuzzi under the cap, but the club must be careful not to overpay, as a bad contract could lead to potential cap issues down the road.

Nevertheless, a four-year deal at about $5.5 million per season could work for the Flames, giving them another solid scoring threat in their top-six.

#1 San Jose Sharks

The Sharks had a very successful Draft this past week. However, the team is still young and will need talented veterans to make the transition for young stars like Macklin Celebrini into the NHL easy. On the Sharks, Bertuzzi almost instantly fits into the club’s top line.

Also, Bertuzzi could play with Celebrini, giving the No. 1 overall pick a known goal scorer as a linemate. Plus, Bertuzzi’s physical game would offer Celebrini protection from opposing teams’ top checkers.

The Sharks have over $26 million in cap space. The club can afford to splurge on a player like Bertuzzi at this time, as the Sharks are not expected to contend.

However, the Sharks should be careful not to hamstring their future cap structure by overpaying for Bertuzzi.