Tyler Bertuzzi's consistent scoring, battling made him bright spot among Blackhawks veterans

Blackhawks forward Tyler Bertuzzi doesn't show much of his unique personality in interviews, but he did joke a couple times this season about the long scoring droughts that plagued him in past seasons.

In early November, for example, he quipped that he would probably turn to coach Jeff Blashill — one of his biggest supporters in the hockey world since their overlapping Red Wings eras — "when I don’t score for eight games or something."

Luckily for Bertuzzi, however, that long drought never really came. His longest was six games without a goal (or point) in mid-December. Last season, for contrast, he endured a 20-game goalless drought and another 12-game drought.

"Being more consistent is the big thing, and that's what I was this year," Bertuzzi said Tuesday. "The body felt good to be able to go out there every night and play to my best ability — to be able to forecheck and be hard to play against."

That consistency added up to a new career high of 32 goals (entering the season finale Wednesday against the Sharks), up from 23 goals last season. He also added 25 assists, up from 23 last season.

Almost all of his goals were scored within a few feet of the net, as has been the case throughout his nine-year career. He has carved out a niche as one of the NHL's best finishers in tight. Because of that, his 19.6% shooting percentage doesn't feel unsustainable.

His emotional investment in every game and dedication to doing the little things that go a long way was evident, too. Blashill described it well in January, saying that Bertuzzi has "played with that passion yet played in control." His ability to win puck battles and even strip the puck away from unsuspecting opponents stood out.

He was one of few veteran bright spots on the team. Fellow veteran forwards Ryan Donato, Teuvo Teravainen and Andre Burakovsky were considerably less impressive. At least Ilya Mikheyev was solid.

Bertuzzi also became an alternate captain after the trade deadline, and with two years left on the four-year contract he signed in 2024, he'll likely retain that role moving forward.

"Obviously production says he’s had a really good year, but to me, it’s way beyond that," Blashill said. "The only times he’s gotten himself in trouble in the past is trying to make too many plays. He ended up turning pucks over. He hasn’t done that at all this year. He’s been really good at making a play when there’s one there and living another day when there’s not."

Not a skill

Bertuzzi, Mikheyev and rookie Anton Frondell formed easily the Hawks' most effective line down the stretch. Entering Wednesday, they had together outscored opponents 7-3 during a time period in which the team was outscored 51-27 as a whole.

Bertuzzi's advice to Frondell to "go hunt, go forecheck" was clearly useful. But asked how the rest of the Hawks' many young forwards could learn that skill, Bertuzzi pushed back against that word usage.

"It's not a skill; it's just competing and wanting to win the battle," he said. "It's something that will grow with time."

Contract watch

Connor Bedard's contract negotiations will be a big deal this summer, but the Hawks do have a few other restricted free agents to also re-sign: Kevin Korchinski, Ethan Del Mastro and Drew Commesso.

Mikheyev, Matt Grzelcyk and Sam Lafferty are their pending unrestricted free agents. Mikheyev is the only one with a decent chance of returning.