Todd Bertuzzi re-signs with Detroit, two-years $3.875 million

** CORRECTS TO BERTUZZI CELEBRATES HIS FIRST-PERIOD GOAL NOT A FRANZEN GOAL ** Detroit Red Wings’ Todd Bertuzzi, center, celebrates his first-period goal against San Jose Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov, behind, of Kazakhstan, in the first period of Game 4 of an NHL hockey Western Conference second-round playoff series in Detroit, Thursday, May 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

AP

While Todd Bertuzzi is dealing with other sorts of legal matters, he’s getting some business taken care of with the Detroit Red Wings as Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press finds out.

Todd Bertuzzi has agreed to a two-year, $3.875 million deal with the Detroit Red Wings.

“It’s just a really good fit for me,” the forward said. “My kids were so pumped when they found out we’re going back for two more years -- now my son gets to stay in his hockey program, and they get to go back to the same schools.”

It’s a good signing for Bertuzzi because he’s making a fair amount of money and after coming off of a season where he scored 18 goals and had 44 points at the age of 35 while finding a way to blend into the Red Wings system, he should be more than thankful he’s found a place where he can stick. The big question here though is how does this figure into Detroit’s salary cap situation?

The Wings now have just over $54 million committed to 18 players headed into next season. The salary cap is expected to rise to $58.8 million. They also are working on contracts for restricted free-agent forwards Drew Miller, Patrick Eaves, Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm, along with defenseman Derek Meech.

If you’re thinking any of those guys are going to get huge raises, you’re crazy. The one guy out of that bunch that has any amount of real leverage is Darren Helm as he’s proven to be an ideal third line center with incredible speed and penalty killing ability. Miller and Eaves were late pick-ups last season for Detroit, Miller being acquired off waivers from Tampa Bay in November and Eaves signing on just before the season began.

With Detroit committing that much money to Bertuzzi, you’d have to assume the Red Wings are working with the assumption that the players union will take the salary escalator which will push the salary cap up to about $59 million, up from $56.8 million where it was this year. Either that or Ken Holland is feeling frisky with paying out for older players. Bertuzzi figures to be a second or third liner with Detroit next season with Tomas Holmstrom back in the fold as well as Jiri Hudler who is returning from a one year stint in the KHL.