GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — After months of trade speculation, Tyler Bertuzzi is finally on the move. The Detroit Red Wings traded the forward to the Boston Bruins for a pair of draft picks on Thursday.

Detroit will retain half of Bertuzzi’s salary for the 2022-23 season. In exchange, the Red Wings will receive Boston’s 2024 first-round pick (unless it is a top-10 selection) and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft.

Bertuzzi has spent nine seasons within the Red Wings organization after being selected in the second round of the 2013 NHL draft. The Sudbury, Ontario, native played with the Grand Rapids Griffins for parts of four seasons, including the team’s run to claim the 2017 Calder Cup.

He made his NHL debut earlier that season and became a Red Wings regular the following fall. In the years since, Bertuzzi established himself as a top-six NHL forward. He finished with 30 goals and 32 assists last season. However, given his checkered injury history, many hockey analysts questioned whether a franchise would give him a lucrative, long-term deal.

Bertuzzi had only appeared in 29 games this season for the Red Wings, with just four goals and 10 assists, missing time after breaking his hand on two separate occasions. He was limited to only nine games last season due to a back injury.

Playing out the final year of his contract, several outlets reported that Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman and Bertuzzi’s agent were not close on an extension.

The Red Wings still have two games remaining against the Bruins: a home-and-home series on March 11 and 12.

Boston has the best record in the NHL at 47-8-5. The Bruins’ 99 points are 13 ahead of the second-best team in the Eastern Conference.

Detroit, meanwhile, has slipped well off the pace for a wild card spot in the East. After a strong road trip, the Wings have lost their last three, including two games to Ottawa, which sits tied with Detroit in the standings. The Red Wings are currently five points behind the Penguins for the final playoff spot.