Not surprising to see the very critical and very supportive remarks. I don't think anything has polarized the fans as much as the Bertuzzi-Moore incident. He still elicits very strong reactions from people.
Here's my take on this (let me preface by saying, and many will confirm, that I hated Bertuzzi but love the signing):
1. He plays on one of two lines.
Effectively, my understanding is that the Langkow-Iginla and Cammalleri-Lombardi pairings are set, and they're going to fit Bertuzzi into one of those lines, and a young player (Bourque, Boyd, etc) into the other.
IF you put Bertuzzi with Iginla and Langkow he will score. Point-blank period. Dean McAmmond has 20+ goals and 50+ points on a line with Iggy in the OLD NHL. Betuzzi is certainly a better player than McAmmond (if older at this point), and Iginla is a better player now than he was then. I would suggest that 20 goals and 50 points is more than reasonable to expect.
IF you put Bertuzzi with Cammalleri and Lombardi, he won't score quite as much, but will still be very effective because Cammalleri and Lombardi both stretch defences which will tend to create open space in front of the net. Make no mistake: 80% of Bert's goals will be from within 5 feet. That's OK, there's nothing wrong with that (See Holmstrom's 4 Cup Rings). I still think he'll score 15-20 goals, but will probably get fewer assists.
2. Losing Leadership/PK/Face-Offs vs. Nolan
This is a farce. You've already got the best leader in the game (with all due respect to the assumption that Sakic is retiring) on the team. You've got a guy (Regehr) who was supposedly a positive force in the Team Canada dressing room. You've got Conroy, who has been universally lauded as being a great guy on the team. You've got Phaneuf, who is ALREADY being talked about as being a leader in the room. I don't think that this is a team lacking in leadership or character. Add this to the fact that Bertuzzi has NEVER been talked about poorly in that regard. The only negative I've ever really heard is the media circus re: the incident.
PK. Ummm, Nolan got some minutes, but not as many as you'd think. Conroy, Lombardi, Nystrom were all better PK guys, and they brought in Glenncross who is also a PK guy. This is a team that only uses two pairings for the most part, and tehre are the four guys... You've also got other guys fully capable of PK in Langkow and Primeau and Iginla (though you won't use him on PK).
Face-offs. OK, Langkow is a Centre, Iginla is pretty much a centre, Lombardi and CAmmalleri are centres, Conroy and Primeau are centres, Boyd is a centre. I count 7 in your top 12 forwards... They're not exactly short of guys to take draws.
3. Power Play
Calgary had a better PP than ANA did last year, but what was missing was a screen that combined a big body with hands. Langkow was game, but he's freaking tiny (he is NOT 5'10" as listed). Moss was game, but he's got a set of hands that he borrowed from Shean Donovan. Bertuzzi gives them something that they didn't have. He also makes their second unit better because it means either Langkow or Cammalleri will move down to the #2 unit. Phaneuf and Aucoin both have heavy shots from the point. Regehr has a surprisingly heavy shot, this will be a good PP team.
First unit: Phaneuf/Giordano on point, Iggy half boards, Langkow corner, Bret in front.
Second unit: Aucoin/Regehr on point, Cammalleri half boards, Lombardi corner, Moss? in front.
You know, it's interested. Anaheim HAD to buy Bertuzzi out because of Niedermayer's decision to come back. Vancouver moved him to get Luongo (would any fo you NOT make that trade). Detroit just got out-bid by Anaheim. I don't think Bertuzzi's career movement (potentially excepted in FLA) can be attributed to poor effort, attitude, etc.
If he shows up fit, and wants to play here (which there's no reason why he shouldn't) then I think that for $1.95 MM he's a great deal. He adds a big-body to a small Top-6 forward core (Cammy, Lombo and Lanks are all small), adds some scoring touch in tight (decidedly lacking on this team), and regardless of whether you like him or not he is someone that opposing defences HAVE to account for. With no disrespect to Tanguay or Huselius - you didn't need to know where they were at all times. You do with Bertuzzi, or he'll run you over - that is most definitely worth something.
The beauty is, if he doesn't show up and doesn't play well; you're only saddled with him this season, then he's gone...
