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Penguins on pause: Teddy Blueger carves out niche on a critical line 5 àïðåëÿ 2020 ãîäà. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. By Mike DeFabo When the Penguins extended Teddy Blueger’s contract before this season, the club called him the “perfect role model” for younger players. This year, in Blueger’s first full season in the league, he proved to be a near-perfect role player, as well. After toiling in the American Hockey League for three years, Blueger earned a promotion to the NHL for the first time in the middle of the 2018-19 season. This year, with Matt Cullen in retirement, Blueger established himself as an everyday NHL player and carved out a clear niche as the Penguins’ fourth-line center. Blueger, 25, centered a shut-down defensive line, playing between Zach Aston-Reese and Brandon Tanev. The line initially came together out of necessity, when early injury issues limited the options. But when it found near instant chemistry and a clear-cut identity, coach Mike Sullivan kept this group together more than any other trio. All three players had similar attributes. They were all conscientious defenders, aggressive forecheckers and generally pesky players who made the Penguins a tougher team to play against. Defense, largely, was Blueger’s calling card this year. No Penguin had a higher defensive zone start percentage than Blueger (70%). Sullivan also trusted this line’s defense enough that he often matched them up against opponents’ top line. And Blueger was a fixture on a penalty-killing unit that stymied 82.1% of opponents’ opportunities, eight-best in the league. At times, Blueger flashed offensive upside. He recorded 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in 69 games. That production tailed off over the last couple weeks. At the time the NHL paused the season, Blueger had gone 11 games without recording a point, posting a minus-5 rating over that span. However, scoring goals isn’t necessarily near the top of the list when it comes to Blueger’s job description. The other elements he brings to the table will help him find a role in this league for years to come. DEFINING MOMENT: The shift that sums up Blueger’s season came during the Penguins’ blowout win over Toronto on Feb. 18. One of the team’s best penalty killers, Blueger helped snuff out the Leafs’ five-on-three power play. Just as the Penguins cleared in the final second of the power play, Bryan Rust bolted out of the box to beat Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen to the puck. After some fancy passing, Blueger buried his ninth goal of the season. Blueger was rewarded on the stat sheet for the work he did in the defensive zone and the Penguins climbed to the top of the Metro standings. STAT THAT STANDS OUT: During a season in which so many key players missed so much time because of injury, Blueger was one of two players to suit up in all 69 games. The other was defenseman Marcus Pettersson. IF THE SEASON RESUMES: The Penguins were still trying to figure out how all the pieces fit together when the season was suspended. They had added several players in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline and were working to reintegrate injured players like Brian Dumoulin and John Marino. Chances are, the Blueger line will largely remain intact. If Jake Guentzel returns and Nick Bjugstad gets healthy recent acquisition Evan Rodrigues might pose the biggest threat to break up this line. LONG-TERM OUTLOOK: Blueger is signed through the 2020-21 season on a cap-friendly contract that pays him $750,000 per year. He’ll be a restricted free agent entering the 2021-22 season. He’s in an interesting spot. Maybe he continues to develop offensively and can climb the Penguins’ depth chart. Or, with his reasonable salary, could the Penguins lose him to Seattle in next offseason’s expansion draft? |
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