For now, Robert Bortuzzo’s fate is in the hands of an arbitrator.
The Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman, a restricted free agent, turned down a $577,500 qualifying offer from the cap-strapped Pens, but said this week he remains confident a deal can be struck between the two sides.
The 24-year-old Thunder Bay native said he knows he wasn’t Pittsburgh’s top priority in an offseason that saw the perennial Stanley Cup favourites wage a very public contract-extension negotiation with Norris Trophy finalist Kris Letang.
“They had to take care of a couple of high-end free agents there, obviously with Letang and a couple of other guys,” Bortuzzo said Wednesday before hitting the ice for the annual Easter Seals Skate with the Stars.
“Talks have been ongoing and hopefully we’ll get things out the way as soon as possible.”
At the moment the Penguins have about $126,000 left under the salary cap, according to CapGeek.com. With two players left to sign, it means the team will have to make some moves to fit under it when the season begins in October.
Bortuzzo isn’t worried about the business side of the game at this stage.
“I’m not sure. I try not focus too much on that,” he said. “I know moves have to be made to get under that, and I kind of let my agent and general manager work out stuff like that,” he said.
Contract aside, it was a year of firsts for Bortuzzo, who spent the first three months of the season honing his game with Wilkes Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.
The former Fort William North Star made the Penguins out of training camp, and in his second game he beat future hall of famer Martin Brodeur – on a pass from Sidney Crosby – for his first NHL goal.
“It was quite the rush. It was in my (second) game of the season. It was pretty exciting. It wasn’t the prettiest of goals, it kind of went off a stick there, but you could tell the excitement on my face and all the guys on my team appreciated that.
Bortuzzo played in 15 of the Penguins 48 games in his strike-shortened sophomore season, finishing with two goals and two assists.
He’s hoping for a bigger role next season, though the Penguins did land free-agent defenceman Rob Scuderi from Los Angeles earlier this month, dropping him further down the depth chart behind the likes of Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, Letang, Scuderi, Matt Niskanen, Simon Despres and Deryk Engelland.
Speculation suggests the Pens might deal a veteran blue-liner to ease their salary-cap woes, but some have suggested Bortuzzo could either be dealt himself or Pittsburgh might risk putting losing him on waivers by trying to send him back to the AHL.
Bortuzzo said he thinks he’s ready for full-time work in the NHL.
“I feel like all those minor days are maybe behind me now and I’m just looking to move forward and make strides,” he said.
He also wants another crack at a Stanley Cup. The Penguins, the favourites heading into the post-season, were swept by Boston in the Eastern Confrence final, despite adding the likes of Jarome Iginla and Brendan Morrow at the trade deadline.
“Every NHL team has goals of winning the Stanley Cup. I’m sure Pittsburgh has some of the higher expectations. Yeah, it’s disappointing, but that’s sports. I learned a lot being there and being around the team the whole year,” said Bortuzzo, who did not dress during the Pens playoff run.
“That just fuels you to move forward and get stronger.”
