Red Wings Trade Tyler Bertuzzi For 2 Draft Picks: Reports

DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings traded forward Tyler Bertuzzi to the Boston Bruins for a 2024 first-round draft choice (top-10 protected) and a 2025 fourth-round pick Thursday morning, according to multiple reports.

The move comes after the Red Wings locked up captain Dylan Larkin, whom the Bruins were reportedly interested in trading for. Larkin signed an eight-year contract extension worth $69.6 million.

The Red Wings also flipped defenseman Filip Hronek to the Vancouver Canucks for a conditional first-round pick in 2023, which 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.

Bertuzzi, 28, was a second-round pick by the Red Wings in 2013. He spent nearly 10 years on the team as a productive offensive player, including a 30 goal season last year, making him one of the most popular players among fans on the team.

This season, however, Bertuzzi has been hampered by a groin injury, derailing most of his season. He only played in 29 games for the Red Wings this year, scoring just four goals with 10 assists.

Moreover, he is a prospective unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, meaning a decision on him by the Red Wings front office was imminent. The Red Wings will also eat half of Bertuzzi's 2023 salary.

The draft picks give the team's front office a chance to add more young talent around Larkin. As of Thursday morning, the Red Wings sit five points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild card spot.