Teddy Blueger is returning to the Vancouver Canucks lineup at some point during this road trip. He was a huge part of the team raising their floor in the bottom six. But who does he replace?
Teddy Blueger Ready For His Debut
Teddy Blueger getting healthy is good. And complicated. Trying to figure out who comes out of the lineup to accommodate his return brings really good arguments for not taking them out. And the reasons are as varied as the players. Let’s take a look.
Ready, Teddy
First, we need to establish what the newly arrived free agent brings. He was signed on Day One of free agency, so obviously management likes him. And he fits the off-season theme of improving team defence – especially the penalty kill.
Blueger wasn’t the perfect free agent for Vancouver – left-handed rather than right – but he’s close. A centre who can easily play wing, he adds a bit of scoring in fourth-line minutes. Entering his sixth season, he’s found a niche as a shorthanded specialist, exactly what Vancouver needs.
His fellow penalty-killing centre signee, Pius Suter, took some time to get going but now has goals in three straight games. But Suter’s not really a rival for Blueger’s ice time, being higher in the lineup. Suter is also signed for two seasons, which is a consideration.
Teddy Blueger is, hopefully, one of two things: a good defensive centre who can crank up the penalty kill or trade bait. To prove either he needs ice time.
Any player who is an unrestricted free agent after this season should be an option for trade. It won’t be everybody getting moved out, or even anyone being traded away if everything goes perfectly. But it should still be an option.
Money, Money, Money
Blueger is only signed for this season at $1.9 million. That’s a fairly hefty paycheque for a fourth-line player, but fear sells. And any chance of the Canucks repeating their disastrous penalty kill record of 2022-23 causes nightmares.
While he’s only been in the league for five seasons, he was regarded highly enough for the Vegas Golden Knights to get him for their ultimately successful playoff run. Blueger’s a smart, reasonably quick player who can pose a threat shorthanded, with five goals and six assists in 286 games.
What can other players bring that he doesn’t? The Canucks currently sit 18th in the penalty kill, which is far better than last year. But if it can be improved a bit more, so much the better!
Sam Lafferty
Contract: 1 year remaining, $1.15 million
Sam Lafferty was traded for when the Toronto Maple Leafs were caught in a salary cap squeeze. For a fifth-round pick going out, Vancouver received a versatile forward who is having a sound defensive season. He’s also added three goals and six points in 12 games, which is nice.
Lafferty also brings some jam, racking up 20 penalty minutes as an agitator. That’s something the Canucks have minimal amounts of, and it would drop exchanging Lafferty for Blueger. On the other hand, they would be adding more offence.
Pushing Lafferty to the wing is possible, and frankly not a bad option. He’s getting eaten alive in the faceoff circle, and that’s never a great thing when your job is to stop shots.
Dakota Joshua
Contract: 1 year remaining, $825K
Speaking of added grit, Dakota Joshua had a great start with Vancouver. He signed on as a free agent and scored 11 goals and 23 points in 79 games – his first full NHL season.
He’s become a very credible short-handed player with the Canucks, too. It is a bit ironic as the 6’3″ 205lb Joshua would undoubtedly be a mid-sized enforcer in any other decade. He isn’t an agitator in Lafferty’s style, needing the occasional reminder to use his size.
While he doesn’t draw penalties, he is willing to stand up for teammates if an opponent is taking liberties. That is not something Teddy Blueger does at all, but it’s not as important a skill as it once was.
Anthony Beauvillier
Contract: 1 year remaining, $4.15 million
Probably the biggest asset Anthony Beauvillier has is his speed – especially on a team like Vancouver. While his scoring upon arrival was a fine addition – 9 goals and 20 points in 33 games – that’s not his role here.
His play has been absolutely fine in the bottom six. Sometimes he lines up with Suter and Joshua, sometimes with Lafferty and Nils Höglander. He gets some power play time but is off the ice when stopping goals is called for.
Normally, that would make him a prime candidate to move to the press box on Teddy Blueger’s return. However, given his price tag, he is a prime candidate to be moved – if the team can pull it off. He currently has two goals and five points in 11 games, which is fine, but expensive.
In any other year, the Canucks would likely showcase his talent. He did prove he could be a secondary scorer when he took Bo Horvat‘s spot on last year’s power play, so maybe that’s enough.
Nils Höglander
Contract: 2 years remaining (RFA), $1.1 million/year
Unlike the other players on this list, Nils Höglander isn’t an unrestricted free agent at the end of his deal. The 22-year-old has had a very eventful start to his professional career. He started in the NHL and has since bounced up and down to and from the minors regularly.
He seems to have settled in now, finding a regular place on the fourth line with whoever else happens to be there. The team wants him to focus on being his agitating best, getting in early and digging hard. And he’s very good at that, while also cutting his defensive mistakes considerably.
While not fast, Höglander is quick and has a stockiness that fools opponents looking at his height alone. He’s tough to knock off the puck once he gets it. That seems to be the trait Coach Tocchet wants to use most, playing him as a disrupter who can drive opponents off their game.
Knowing he gets zero special teams time, Höglander does a lot with his 10+ minutes of ice. At this point, taking him off the ice is the worst possible option for his development. The instant he’s on waivers, he’ll be claimed, so the AHL isn’t an option.
Help From Above
Still, someone needs to sit so Blueger can skate. It’s not an easy question by any means. Jack Studnicka is currently the Canucks extra player, so he’s heading down to the AHL if anyone does. That’s not the hard part.
A trade would seem to be the obvious move, but it’s early in the season yet, and they tried – a LOT – last Summer. There’s no reason to think that a team has suddenly changed their mind after one month.
The Canucks have been lucky with their injuries so far, and having any of these players ready to go is a nice safeguard. And it’s not hard to see that the team is riding high right now. No one wants to make a move that disturbs the vibes in the room.
But as we said, someone’s gotta sit. Teddy Blueger brings more than any of these four options, specifically on the penalty kill and defence. It’s going to come down to what the Canucks are willing to lose to get it.
Main Photo: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
