Blackhawks agree to contracts with Bertuzzi and Teravainen on busy opening day of NHL free agency

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This article was published 01/07/2024 (466 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHICAGO (AP) — Help is on the way for Connor Bedard.

Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen agreed to contracts with Chicago on Monday, providing a major offensive lift for the rebuilding Blackhawks on the first day of NHL free agency. Bertuzzi received a $22 million, four-year deal, and Teravainen’s agreement is worth $16.2 million over three seasons.

“Tyler is a fantastic competitor who brings energy every night,” Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “He has enjoyed consistent offensive success throughout his career and we look forward to watching Tyler to continue to produce at the high level he’s shown he is capable of.”

The Blackhawks also reached deals with goaltender Laurent Brossoit ($6.6 million, two years), defensemen T.J. Brodie ($7.5 million, two years) and Alec Martinez ($4 million, one year), and veteran forwards Pat Maroon ($1.3 million, one year) and Craig Smith ($1 million, one year). The team re-signed forward Joey Anderson to a $1.6 million, two-year contract.

Martinez, who turns 37 on July 26, scored in overtime when the Los Angeles Kings eliminated the Blackhawks with a 5-4 victory in Game 7 of the epic 2014 Western Conference Final.

“So far, been pretty excited,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said, “and I’m looking forward to seeing what we get finally and then the coaching staff’s got to start working at seeing where everybody fits in.”

Chicago was looking to upgrade its personnel around Bedard after the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s NHL draft had 22 goals and 39 assists in his first season. Even with Bedard in place, the Blackhawks were the lowest-scoring team in the league with 178 goals.

Bertuzzi and Teravainen, both 29, likely will play on one of the team’s top two lines. The Blackhawks also are expected to get Taylor Hall back after he missed most of last season with a right knee injury.

It’s a bit of a homecoming for Teravainen, who scored a career-high 25 goals and had 28 assists in 76 games for Carolina this past season. He was selected by Chicago in the first round of the 2012 draft and made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in 2014.

Bertuzzi had 21 goals and 22 assists this season for Toronto, which was eliminated by Boston in seven games in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

Bertuzzi broke into the NHL with Detroit after he was selected by the Red Wings in the second round of the 2013 draft. Bertuzzi’s uncle, Todd, also played in the league for 18 years.

Teravainen was once considered one of Chicago’s top prospects. He helped the Blackhawks win the 2015 Stanley Cup, and then had 13 goals and 22 assists in 2015-16 in his first full NHL season.

But he was traded to Carolina in June 2016 to entice the Hurricanes to take Bryan Bickell’s contract off the Blackhawks’ salary cap.

Teravainen blossomed into a strong complementary forward in Carolina, scoring 138 goals and passing for 277 assists in eight seasons with the Hurricanes. He had a career-best 55 assists in 2018-19.

“We’re thrilled to have Teuvo back in Chicago,” Davidson said. “He was a big part of our 2015 Stanley Cup team and we’re excited to have his leadership and experience back in our room.”

Bertuzzi has 113 goals and 148 assists in 406 games, also playing for Boston for part of the 2022-23 season. He set career highs with 30 goals and 32 assists with Detroit during the 2021-22 season.

Brossoit, 31, joins Petr Mrazek as Chicago’s tandem at goaltender. Brossoit, who had a .927 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average in 23 games for Winnipeg this past season, provides a more experienced option for Richardson after Arvid Soderblom struggled.

Brodie, 34, had one goal and 25 assists in 78 games with Toronto this season. He had an average ice time of 21:43.

“T.J. is a strong, two-way defenseman that can play valuable minutes in any situation,” Davidson said. “He adds a wealth of experience to our room.”

The 34-year-old Smith had 11 goals and nine assists in 75 games with Dallas this season. He also had two assists while making 14 appearances in the playoffs.

Maroon, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, had four goals and 12 assists in 51 games this year. The St. Louis native played for seven teams during his first 13 NHL seasons.

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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL