Red Wings activate forward Tyler Bertuzzi off IR

The Detroit Red Wings are getting a huge piece back healthy Tuesday for their matchup against the struggling Anaheim Ducks. 

Forward Tyler Bertuzzi has been activated off injured reserve, according to the team Tuesday night. To make room on the roster, the team placed forward Elmer Soderblom on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 8.

Bertuzzi played in just two games this season before sustaining a broken hand, registering an assist. He’s expected to return to his top-line role alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.

Detroit has still managed to get off to a 7-5-3 start without him, staying competitive in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. 

If Bertuzzi can capture last year’s form, where he scored 62 points in 68 games, he’ll fortify what’s already been a strong top six and help them keep pace.

In Bertuzzi’s absence, though, Dominik Kubalik has done a spectacular job providing depth scoring behind Larkin – if you can even call it depth. 

After going unqualified by the Chicago Blackhawks last offseason, Kubalik has 18 points through his first 15 games as a Red Wing to lead the team.

Soderblom has missed the team’s last two games and is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. 

He is eligible to return at any time, given the seven-day waiting period on IR retroactively expires as of Tuesday, but the team will need to make a corresponding roster move to create an open space.