Red Wings trade Tyler Bertuzzi to Bruins for 2 picks, including 2024 1st-rounder

Detroit — The selling continues for the Red Wings as the NHL trade deadline heads to its close Friday afternoon.

And this time, it's a significant piece.

The Wings traded forward Tyler Bertuzzi to the Boston Bruins Thursday for a 2024 first-round draft pick (top-10 protected) and a 2025 fourth-round pick. The Wings also retain 50% of Bertuzzi's $5.25 million salary for the remainder of this season ($4.75 million salary cap hit).

Bertuzzi, 28, a 2013 second-round draft choice, was a popular player among Wings fans, evolving into a skillful player who could play with an abrasive edge.

Captain Dylan Larkin, a close friend of Bertuzzi's as the two have played nearly their entire careers together, was overcome with emotion Thursday discussing the trade, while also talking about Larkin's new eight-year contract extension.

It was obvious the news of Bertuzzi leaving affected Larkin.

"It hurts," said Larkin, breaking into tears briefly.

Bertuzzi was a "unique" player, said Larkin, capable of playing with grit and physicality while also with skill.

"He's very unique in his style and I've said it many times, it doesn't look pretty, but it's highly effective," Larkin said. "His hair and sticks flying everywhere and he comes up with that big, toothless smile and he's always the first one to laugh when something happens. Last game in Ottawa, he was the first one to jump in and protect me.

"It's going to be tough. I always loved to play with him and I felt I was at my best playing with him."

The Wings' locker room will have to quickly let news of the trades disappear and concentrate on Thursday's game against Seattle, and the games ahead.

"I'm not going to lie to you; it's really difficult right now and it's going to be hard," Larkin said. "But, we have to come out to the rink and forget about it. We had a team meeting and what happened with the two guys (Bertuzzi, Filip Hronek) moved, we can't let it affect what we're trying to do."

A prospective unrestricted free agent, Bertuzzi was hampered with injuries to both hands this season, along with a minor groin injury, that derailed most of his season.

Bertuzzi has only played 29 games, with four goals and 10 assists.

"He's been trying to come around (after Bertuzzi's injuries) to a team game and he's done a lot of good things," Lalonde said. "(And) Fil is having a career year. Both of those trades are probably offers in the 'you can't refuse' thing."

The Bertuzzi trade follows Wednesday's trade of Hronek to Vancouver for a conditional first-round pick in 2023 (originally belonging to the New York Islanders, the pick will switch to an unprotected 2024 first-round pick if the pick falls in the top 12 in 2023), and Vancouver's 2023 second-round pick.

Lalonde said this will be, essentially, a Wings lineup that somewhat resembled the lineup that began the season, and has been in place for quite some time, without Bertuzzi, who has been hurt most of the season.

"Back to business," Lalonde said, noting the raw emotions are there for the younger players who haven't been part of a trade deadline before. "This lineup we're going forward with isn't much different than the beginning of the season with all the injuries. They're key parts (Bertuzzi, Hronek, injured Michael Rasmussen) but we've won with this roster in the past and expect to do it again."

The Wings also have forwards Oskar Sundqvist and Pius Suter, both potential UFA's, who could draw interest before Friday's 3 p.m. deadline.

ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tkulfan