A look at 4 former Red Wings that are struggling so far in 2023
That old saying that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side is quickly coming to fruition for a few former Detroit Red Wings.
First up, Tyler Bertuzzi. The former Detroit Red Wings forward signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs for $5.5 million this past off-season. It was one of those ‘bet on yourself’ deals, but things are not going as planned for the gritty winger. This is a bit of a surprise, knowing that Bertuzzi would have an opportunity to play with some combination of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitchell Marner. Bertuzzi should be poised to have a career year playing with some of the top offensive players in the league but is off to a slow start, having recorded just three goals and four points through the first 13 games.
If you recall, Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin shed a few tears in a press conference following last year’s trade deadline when his pal Bertuzzi was traded to the Boston Bruins for a first-round draft pick. Bertuzzi had a really nice playoff stint with the Bruins, recording five goals and ten points in seven games. Losing in the first round to the Florida Panthers made for a highly disappointing postseason despite having them on the ropes up three games to one before imploding. The Bruins could not fit Bertuzzi under the cap this off-season, allowing him to test the open market. I don’t think that market was as prosperous as Bertuzzi and his camp had hoped, leaving him to sign that one-year deal.
That Toronto media is ruthless, a lot different than those covering the Red Wings.
Bertuzzi found himself as the center of attention following a recent game against the Bruins. Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren was driven awkwardly into the end boards by Brad Marchand. As the Leafs bench was chirping at Marchand following Liljegren’s injury, Bertuzzi was spotted with a smile on his face.
That gesture drew the attention of the smothering Toronto media, and Bertuzzi, when questioned, said people can perceive that however they want; he didn’t need to explain himself. That won’t be forgotten by that overwhelming, often toxic media market. Bertuzzi did score on Wednesday night for the Maple Leafs against the Ottawa Senators, and despite being relegated to the fourth line last week, was backup playing as a top-six forward on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander.
Filip Zadina is another former Detroit Red Wings forward off to a slow start
Following last season, Filip Zadina requested his release from the Detroit Red Wings, which general manager Steve Yzerman happily granted. He would quickly sign a one-year deal with the Sharks for $1.1 million, less money than he would have made with the Red Wings. It seems Zadina saw the writing on the wall after Yzerman’s busy off-season and knew he’d need to play his way on the roster, beating out some veteran additions.
Zadina, 23, had been a first-round pick of the Red Wings, sixth overall from the 2018 NHL Entry Level Draft that just couldn’t seem to garner any momentum at the NHL level. He will long be remembered in Detroit circles as the guy who famously stated that he would fill Montreal’s net for passing on him in the draft after he had been projected as the third pick yet fell to six. The problem? He hasn’t filled any net, let alone Montreal’s, and now, since signing with the San Jose Sharks, his team’s net is the one being filled.
Through 12 games with the Sharks, Zadina has recorded two goals and is a minus-14. His Corsi For Percentage comes in at an atrocious 36.5%, and he’s averaging just over 14 minutes per night on that awful team. If Zadina can’t find consistent second or third-line minutes on a one-win Sharks team, where will he?
I will close by admitting that when the Detroit Red Wings drafted Zadina, I considered going streaking (I am joking), but I was so excited. He seemed like the type of player the Detroit Red Wings long lacked, a 40-plus goal scorer; hindsight is 20/20, he may not score 40 goals in his career. While that’s a stretch, as he currently sits at 30, the point is he isn’t anywhere near the player he was expected to become. It’s a shame. He seems like a good kid and is still young enough to put it all together, but he may be the next Evgeny Svechnikov. Ironically, Svechnikov also landed in San Jose, looking to rejuvenate his career. After scoring just eight goals and 14 points over 59 games last season, he returned to Russia to play in the KHL this season.
Jakub Vrana hasn’t fared much better in St. Louis than he did with the Red Wings
You know the story. The Detroit Red Wings landed the skillful winger from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Anthony Mantha. Ironically, both players continue to struggle for their respective organizations.
Steve Yzerman chose to cut ties with the scoring forward after a couple of odd situations during his time with the Detroit Red Wings. At the trade deadline, he sent Jakub Vrana to his good buddy Doug Armstrong and the St. Louis Blues for essentially a bag of pucks. Detroit received a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft along with AHL lifer Dylan McLaughlin, whom the Red Wings allowed to remain with his AHL team on a loan basis. McLaughlin is now inactive. Detroit also retained 50% of Vrana’s salary, meaning they are paying him $2.625 million this season to play for the Blues.
So far this season, Vrana has found himself a healthy scratch a couple of times. Blues head coach Craig Berube had been trying to send a message trying to get more out of his talented yet fragile forward.
“Sometimes you’ve got to watch and learn from it, and hopefully he’s better,” Berube said. “That is what you’ve got to do sometimes. It’s the hard part of the job, and it’s the hard part on the player, too. “We just need a response. That’s up to him. In the end, he’s a talented guy that can score goals for us and be a good player for us: power play and five-on-five. But you’ve got to work. You’ve got to work.”
Through nine games this season, Vrana has recorded one goal and four points but only plays just over 12 minutes per night when dressed. He’s in a cold slump, having recorded one assist over his past six contests.
Last but not least, former Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha
The former 20th overall pick of the Detroit Red Wings, like Vrana, has also found himself in the press box from time to time since joining the Washington Capitals. Anthony Mantha had once been considered a top-scoring prospect of the Red Wings and was expected to excel playing alongside Alex Ovechkin but has failed to put it all together.
Mantha, 29, had scored 24-plus goals in a season on two occasions before being dealt to the Capitals but has notched just 25 total over four years and 127 games since the trade. He’s recorded just one goal and one assist over nine games this season, averaging less than 13 minutes per night.
The Capitals are reportedly trying to find someone to take Mantha and his lucrative contract as they look for a replacement for Nicklas Backstrom. Backstrom’s career is in jeopardy as he’s stepped away from the game due to ongoing health issues.
Mantha’s current deal carries a $5.7 million cap hit, and the Caps will be required to sweeten the pot with draft capital to entice a team to absorb that money. Perhaps a bottom feeder like the Sharks would be willing to do business?
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Another team that comes to mind is the Anaheim Ducks, and although he doesn’t have any money to work with, this type of deal has Ken Holland’s name written all over it.