Teddy Blueger set a new career high in assists with 22 during the 2023-24 campaign.
With July 1 less than two weeks away, the Vancouver Canucks are busy trying to re-sign their pending free agents. While most of the attention is on players like Nikita Zadorov and Dakota Joshua, Teddy Blueger also needs a new contract heading into the 2024-25 season. While he almost exclusively plays in the bottom six, Blueger is a piece on this roster and should be re-signed this offseason.
During the 2023 offseason, Blueger signed a one-year deal worth $1.9 million. Coming off a Stanley Cup championship with the Vegas Golden Knight, Blueger thrived in his first year with the Canucks, setting a new career best with 22 assists and tying his previous career high of 28 points. The Latvian-born center was also part of one of the league's best thirds lines, which consisted of himself alongside Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua.
As for his analytics, Blueger had his best five-on-five regular season to date. He finished with an xGF% of 57.86 and, for the first time since 2019-20, was over 50% in SCF% at 55.92%. While playing with Garland and Joshua helped his analytics; he also finished above 50% in most categories during his time away from them, showing that regardless of his linemates, Blueger was able to produce at both ends of the ice.
On top of his strong five-on-five play, Blueger was also an essential part of Vancouver's penalty kill. He led all forwards with over 140 minutes of shorthanded time during the regular season, while his 32 minutes during the postseason ranked second on the team behind Ian Cole. Ultimately, he was one of Rich Tocchet's most trusted players when it came to shorthanded situations, as he was often the first player over the boards to start the penalty kill.
While Blueger is expected to receive a raise, it shouldn't be large enough to cause the Canucks cap issues. According to AFPAnalytics, Blueger is projected to get a two-year deal that carries an AAV of just under $2.2 million. Based on what he brings to the lineup, this would be a fantastic deal for the player and organization, as it gives Blueger some stability while ensuring Vancouver is strong down the middle for the next two seasons.
Despite not being at the top of the priority list, re-signing Blueger is an important move for this organization. He provides stability in the bottom six and plays a key role on special teams. Letting him walk in free agency would be a mistake and one the Canucks may regret next season.
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