| The Detroit News
Detroit — After a long, long wait, Tyler Bertuzzi’s salary arbitration wasn’t too surprising.
It was smack near the middle.
Bertuzzi was awarded a salary Tuesday for the 2020-21 regular season of $3.5 million.
The Wings were proposing $3.15 million, while Bertuzzi was asking for $4.25 million.
Still, Bertuzzi, 25, will receive a heck of a raise. He earned $1.4 million last season, while leading all Wings with 21 goals (the second consecutive season he reached 21), while also collecting a career-high 48 points (27 assists).
For his career, Bertuzzi — a 2013 second-round draft pick, has 119 points (49 goals, 70 assists) in 199 games over a little over two NHL seasons.
Bertuzzi was the first player to have his case get to the actual arbitration process this season.
Some other notable restricted free agents, such as Sam Reinhart (Buffalo), Ilya Mikheyev (Toronto) and Jake Virtanen (Vancouver), worked out new contracts with their teams.
Bertuzzi is now eligible to become a restricted free agent again next season.
Now, it’ll be interesting to see how quickly general manager Steve Yzerman can sign the Wings’ other notable RFA, forward Anthony Mantha.
Yzerman has been working with Mantha’s representatives on a long-term deal.
Mantha, 26, had 16 goals and 38 points in an injury-marred 43-game season. It was the third time in Mantha’s young career his season has been shortened by injuries.
Mantha has had 24- and 25-goal seasons, but has yet to reach 30 in his career. He has displayed the size and speed to show he could become one of the premier power forwards in the NHL.
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan