Blackhawks Need to Try Tyler Bertuzzi on Connor Bedard’s Line

The big storyline around the Chicago Blackhawks surrounds head coach Luke Richardson’s line changes. Only a few have remained on the same line they started the season with. It’s a free-for-all. For example, players like Ryan Donato have played on all four lines this season, and the Blackhawks have used 37 different line combinations in 17 games. Tyler Bertuzzi is one of the players who has never moved out of his second-line position since opening night, and maybe that is the one change that is needed. Some fans have been expressing concerns about why Bertuzzi hasn’t been paired with Bedard, and I think there is a valid argument to be made.

When it comes to Connor Bedard, Richardson recently said they are still looking for the right line combinations for him and the first line, and it seemed like it came to a head on Nov. 14 against the Seattle Kraken when Richardson put Craig Smith and Donato on Bedard’s line in the third period against the Seattle Kraken. Now, when you are putting Smith on the first line (who is a good player but not necessarily a first-line player), then you know you are running low on answers. Granted, they did create the lone goal in the Seattle game, but it’s not a sustainable option.

When it comes to Bertuzzi, he played with Bedard through most of training camp. They didn’t have the success hoped for in the preseason, but there is familiarity there, and that’s significant. Bertuzzi got off to a slow start this season and started picking it up with four points in his last seven games, but he probably wants more production, as he has six points in 17 games. It is known that Bedard has been struggling to find his offense lately (eight games without a goal), so there might be some urgency to put them together. After all, general manager Kyle Davidson mentioned he signed Bertuzzi as a top-six option to play with Bedard, and he got the most money out of any of the 2024 Blackhawks’ free-agent signings (four-year, $22 million), so they may as well take advantage of it.

Bedard said of Bertuzzi in September, “He’s a very skilled player. Really good in puck battles and getting the puck back. There’s obviously a reason he’s been a really good player for a while, so it’s been fun so far.”

“Really good in puck battles and getting the puck back” is the key sentence. Bertuzzi can do the dirty work of digging the puck out and getting to the net and could get Bedard chances, and maybe that would benefit both of them.

In July, our very own Nate Brown wrote that using Bertuzzi or Teuvo Teravainen on the first line with Bedard after Chicago signed them would be a seemingly “win-win” scenario due to their skillset.

The Blackhawks have already tried Teravainen with Bedard with mixed results, and now it’s time to try Bertuzzi with Bedard. They have nothing to lose by doing so.

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