Good News for Bertuzzi Is Bad News for Detroit

Just like fellow trade deadline superstars Peter Forsberg, Keith Tkachuk, and Bill "Expensive Piece of Playoff Furniture" Guerin, Detroit Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi has been doing his best Claude Rains imitation during this postseason. Bert has one goal and three assists in 10 playoff games. None of them have come on the power play; in fact, due to a prolonged absence after back surgery, Bertuzzi hasn't scored a power-play goal since Oct. 6, 2006.

Let's say Bertuzzi overcomes his lingering back issues and scoring slump, and he catches fire in the Western Conference Finals against the Ducks. According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, an offensive explosion from Bert could end up hurting the Red Wings' future, thanks to the conditions GM Ken Holland placed on the draft picks Detroit sent to Florida for Bertuzzi earlier this season:

This is the scenario: In order for the Florida Panthers to get this year's first-round pick three things have to happen: 1) The Wings have to be in the final four of the playoffs, 2) Bertuzzi has to play in two-thirds of the playoff games, and 3) Bertuzzi has to be among the top-five scorers.

If the first two happen but Bertuzzi is not a top-five scorer, then it's a second-round draft pick – unless the Wings go to the Stanley Cup finals, in which case it reverts back to a first-round pick. If Bertuzzi re-signs with the Wings, the Panthers get a second pick in 2008.

St. James writes that Bertuzzi ranks 11th on the team in scoring, yet he's only two points away from being in the Red Wings' top five. So it is possible that Detroit could hand over its first-round pick to the Panthers without advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals.

As for Bertuzzi, Daniel at Ducks Blog believes he's the only player that can make the Red Wings a "real threat" against Anaheim: "He HAS to have a big series, he has to be a whore in front of the net and he has to be nasty. Can he do all of this with his back?" Good question...