Tyler Bertuzzi, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Chicago Blackhawks are all involved in a firestorm right now where the NHL is investigating possible tampering. The NHL has started to look into several of the league contracts that have been signed, and former Maple Leaf Tyler Bertuzzi is now being investigated as to how he left the team. The NHL had a weird concept of free agency until now because it never had a system that allowed both teams and players to further their negotiations. But without a negotiation window, things sometimes get a little crazy: players make surprising moves, and teams scramble to evaluate the reasoning behind their decisions. It isn't fair to the players and the teams, but that is just the way it goes. There will always be cheating by teams, and there will always be the backyard chitchat as the league looks away. f those incidents see the light of day, however, it is an entirely different story; the league is trying to take more control over this. That tension boiled over into the recent story of Tyler <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl/news/tyler-bertuzzi-and-the-blackhawks-among-other-teams-investigated-for-tampering-during-free-agency' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Bertuzzi and the Chicago Blackhawks and how he abruptly left the Toronto Maple Leafs</a>. The Leafs are the center of these discussions now as the league will need to do their due diligence to ensure they had nothing to do with Bertuzzi leaving so abruptly. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/MaryLynnMetras/status/1857476123635912948'> </a></blockquote></div> There are no great surprises during the free agency period in other leagues, as official talks give them an idea of interest from teams and players alike. On the contrary, the NHL version basically leaves a free agent in limbo, never knowing whether they may get one or more offers, or zero. This is a very difficult way to manage careers and futures. Another NHL insider, Pierre LeBrun, reported that the discussions were termed a <a href='https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/nhl/news-nhl-insider-shares-deputy-commissioner-bill-daly-s-stern-warning-gms-regarding-player-tampering' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>breach of league rules by Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly at the GM meetings</a> this week. But everyone knows that tampering is generally frowned upon, but this summer really took it to a whole different level, added Daly. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/qwiket_nhl/status/1857118920697622540'> </a></blockquote></div> The NHL has an extremely simple choice to make: either establish a negotiating window or get over the uncomfortable fact that tampering exists. It would mean that such rigid adherence to its position would deny the players what others consider a given in a league that boasts of parity: the ability to make an informed decision about their family and career. This is yet another example of how the leadership of the NHL has managed to botch yet another issue.