The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without one of their top forwards for Hockey Night in Canada.
Tyler Bertuzzi will not play Saturday vs. the Edmonton Oilers as he battles an illness, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Bertuzzi took part in the optional skate on Saturday morning, but did not participate in the pregame warmup before the game.
With Mitch Marner being out of the lineup since March 7, Bertuzzi and Max Domi have been able to play on the first line with Auston Matthews, who leads the league in goals with 57. In his last five games, Bertuzzi has three goals and two assists for five points.
Bertuzzi, 29, has 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points in 67 games with the Maple Leafs this season. He joined the team in the offseason, signing a one-year, $5.5 million deal.
In NHL seasons with the Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins, Bertuzzi has 107 goals, 145 assists for 252 points in 393 career games. He made his playoff debut with the Bruins last spring, scoring five goals and five assists for 10 points in seven games.
Going into Saturday’s game, the Maple Leafs are 39-20-9 with 87 points, third in the Atlantic Division. They’re 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and look like they’ll face either the Bruins or Florida Panthers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, depending on which of the two wins the Atlantic Division.
Forward William Nylander has already eclipsed his career high in points with 91 (38 goals and 53 assists) in 68 games. Matthews is right behind him with 89. Marner, despite missing six games, still has 76 points (25 goals and 51 assists).
