At the 2023 NHL trade deadline, Blueger went from playoff outsider Penguins, to Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights, and eating borscht out of the hallowed trophy in his native Latvia
March Madness isn’t reserved for the annual NCAA men’s basketball championship tournament.
In the NHL, the madness starts before the calendar flips to this month. In advance of the annual trade deadline, which arrives here at noon Friday, speculation has run rampant about who’s staying, who’s going, and who might be arriving in Vancouver.
Affable Canucks centre Teddy Blueger has experienced the anticipation and agony as contenders and pretenders adjust rosters for a run at playoff success now or in a few years. In March of 2016, an elated Blueger signed an entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Seven years later, he was stunned to be dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights at the deadline. However, it would result in getting his name etched on the Stanley Cup and drinking borscht from the hallowed hardware during a hearty party tour in his hometown of Riga, Latvia.
It’s why Blueger can offer perspective to teammate and penalty-kill partner Pius Suter, who’s commanding trade interest as an unrestricted free agent with an attractive skill set.
The Canucks’ penalty kill is ranked sixth at 82 per cent efficiency. It hasn’t been that high since 2014-15 when 85.7 per cent success rated second. Suter also has a career-high 16 goals and can play middle or wing. He’s called ‘Super Glue’ for good reason.
However, he hasn’t called on Blueger for how to handle the noise.
“It can be personal — especially for guys with families and kids — and more difficult,” Blueger said Wednesday morning before scoring in a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks to end a 28-game goal drought. “Pius is a great player. Very smart. Very versatile and can up and down the lineup in any role.”
Blueger and Suter are like peanut butter and jam as a penalty-kill pairing. They just fit.
“We’ve played together all year and it’s our chemistry and reading off each other,” said Blueger. “We have a system and we’ve had a lot of repetitions to execute the game plan. We’re all on the same page and it’s easier to make reads.
“When Suter goes to pressure, I know the (opposition) outlet and I can go and jump the next play. The little details add up.”
Blueger has another year left on his two-year extension at a palatable US$1.8 million cap hit, but knows anything can happen at the trade deadline. He’s obviously a financial fit and penalty kill staple, and at age 30, can help prospect Aatu Raty, 22, make the NHL transition.
It’s a long way from uncertainty when Blueger was traded to the Golden Knights. It started, as it usually does, by being summoned by the general manager. It ended with a championship and signing a free-agent deal with the Canucks.
And even though Blueger’s contract was expiring, he wasn’t aware the Penguins had other plans. He was moved for a 2024 third-round draft pick and prospect.
“I had no idea at all,” said Blueger. “The team didn’t tell me anything and I didn’t see it coming. This time of year, you pretty much know anything is possible. You’re not necessarily on edge, but you’ve got your guard up a little bit, and it took me completely by surprise.
“It was weird timing. Two days before the deadline, we were on our fathers’ trip. We played in Nashville and had a flight to Tampa the next day. Everything was normal. Get to the hotel lobby, pick up my key, and Brian Burke then said come up to his room. He needed to talk.
“I kind of had an idea,” admitted Blueger. “He said my dad could come up to the room and he did. He told me I had been traded to Vegas and thanked me for my time.”
The Penguins missed the playoffs by two points and the Western Conference champion Golden Knights were on a mission to win it all. Still, it was the first time Blueger had been dealt, so wondering how he would fit on the ice and in the room was natural.
“Mix of emotions,” said Blueger, a 2012 Penguins draft pick. “Your phone is blowing up with texts and I got into Vegas at 2 a.m. You try to sleep. I didn’t know anyone there, but I did play a couple of months with Phil Kessel in Pittsburgh.
“The first week was pretty rough. You’re wondering about routines.”
Aside from logistics of getting settled in a new city and team, it didn’t take long for Blueger to see why the Golden Knights were poised for a long playoff run. They had 51 points and 111 points, third-rated power pay and sixth-ranked offence. But the 19th-ranked penalty kill needed propping up. That was Blueger’s ticket.
“That was the great part,” he recalled. “That team was very close and we were very uptight in Pittsburgh trying to fight for a playoff spot. It was more loose in Vegas and some pretty funny characters, but when it was time to work, it was time to work.
“They had a lot of depth and guys really bought into their roles.”
Blueger knew any ice time was good because players on successful teams draw interest. He logged 18 regular-season games with Vegas and six in the post-season. But he didn’t suit up for a Stanley Cup Final game, which is one criteria for getting your name on the Cup.
However, his 45 games with the Penguins before being dealt exceeded the minimum 41. The Golden Knights also petitioned the league that anybody with the club when it won it all should have their name inscribed.
Party on.