The Detroit Red Wings will once again be without Tyler Bertuzzi.
They placed the top-line winger on injured reserve Thursday evening, the day after he appeared to hurt his left hand when he was hit by a puck during the 5-4 shootout loss against the Buffalo Sabres. Bertuzzi is among multiple injuries the Wings have up front, necessitating calling up Austin Czarnik. The team was off Thursday, and return to practice Friday ahead of finishing a five-game home stand Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
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Bertuzzi was hit by a point shot taken by teammate Ben Chiarot. Bertuzzi slammed his stick into the boards and went to the locker room; he returned to the bench though he was not available to play again.
Bertuzzi missed a month after breaking a hand when he was hit by a puck in the second game of the season. He had one goal and two assists in seven games, showing rust after the layoff. Coach Derek Lalonde has said numerous times that the absence also put Bertuzzi behind in terms of learning to play the reduced-risk game the Wings have adopted this season as part of their commitment to team defense.
Bertuzzi’s absences also do not help negotiations on a contract extension. He’s eligible for unrestricted free agency, and if a deal does not materialize soon, general manager Steve Yzerman is likely to trade Bertuzzi rather than risk losing him for nothing.
Czarnik, 29, appeared in four games with the Wings from Nov. 5-18, totaling one goal and a plus-one rating. The Wings didn’t have any spare forwards, as the list of those not available numbered Jakub Vrana (players assistance program), Robby Fabbri (recovered from knee surgery, projected to be available in January) and Filip Zadina (lower body, also January) and Elmer Söderblom (undisclosed, also January).
The Wings also assigned goaltender Magnus Hellberg to the Grand Rapids Griffins for a conditioning stint. Hellberg was claimed off waivers in November, with the Wings taking advantage of having the roster space to carry a third goaltender for depth purposes.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings place Tyler Bertuzzi on IR, recall Austin Czarnik
