Robert Bortuzzo says it’s a shock for any player to learn they’ve been traded.
But in his case, once the original shock wore off, he realized he’d landed in a pretty good situation with the St. Louis Blues.
And now he’s got two years to prove he belongs in the lineup.
The Thunder Bay native, a restricted free agent, last week signed a two-year, $2.1-million deal to remain in St. Louis.
“It was exciting to go to an organization like that at the trade deadline,” said Bortuzzo, speaking earlier this week at the annual Easter Seals Celebrity Skate.
“To know that they want you back for a couple of years is obviously nice and a big opportunity for myself. I’m looking forward to taking it to the next level of my career now.”
According to stltoday.com, Bortuzzo is being penciled into the Blues top six in 2015-16, expected to join the NHL team’s third pairing alongside Petteri Lindbohm.
The 26-year-old combined to play 51 games between Pittsburgh, who drafted him in the third round in 2007, and St. Louis, where he played 13 games after being swapped for fellow defender Ian Cole.
Bortuzzo had a goal and two assists in his stint with St. Louis, but was absent from the Blues lineup when the playoffs rolled around, sitting out their entire seven-game, one-and-done set against the Minnesota Wild after an undisclosed injury kept him out of the lineup.
That was disappointing, but he’s hopeful to find regular work next season and thinks he’s ready.
“That’s the ultimate goal, is getting in that top six at all times and getting into the games and getting minutes. It’s another talented team that’s had some success, so they’re obviously going to have some depth,” Bortuzzo said.
“I think this year is my opportunity where I can really take that next step in terms of minutes and penalty killing and whatnot.”
Bortuzzo, who played for the Fort William First Nation North Stars before a three-year stint in the Ontario Hockey League in Kitchener, is entering his fifth NHL campaign, his third full season.
He’s looking for a little more steadiness in his game this fall.
“I think I was able to elevate that and take some strides on the penalty kill. Moving forward I’m going to try to work on some offensive stuff.
There is really no such thing as a defensive defenceman anymore. You have to be able to join the rush and support it and shoot in the offensive zone,” the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Bortuzzo said.
“It’s so hard to score goals in today’s game.”
Bortuzzo is expected to take part in Monday’s pro-am at the Staal Foundation Open at Whitewater Golf Club.
