Canucks veteran expresses his desire to stay in Vancouver
How different will the Vancouver Canucks look after the NHL trade deadline?
It depends on how deep Patrik Allvin wants the cuts to go.
However, the first level of cuts would mean trading his pending unrestricted free agents: Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger, and David Kämpf.
As we know from last year’s deadline, trading pending UFAs isn’t a given for this organization.
On top of that, what if some of those pending unrestricted free agents don’t want to go anywhere?
Well, Kane has not indicated that he wants to stay, and Kämpf doesn’t have any long-term ties to the city.
But Blueger is a different story.
The Latvian centre has quietly emerged as a leader on this team, both in his public comments and in his play on the ice.
And after practice on Tuesday, Blueger made his feelings clear about his desire to remain with the Canucks past the trade deadline.
“My wife and I have talked about it, so we’re at peace with whatever happens,” Blueger told Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre.
“We’d love to stay. We love the city. But if something happens, hopefully you’re going to a playoff team that has a chance to go on a run. But there’s no point stressing about it.”
Blueger originally joined the Canucks as a free agent in the summer of 2023 after winning a Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Although he’s been hurt most of the year, Blueger has arguably been the best Canucks forward when healthy. He leads the Canucks in both goals (four) and points (seven) since his return to the lineup on Jan. 21. Through 10 games this season, the 31-year-old has five goals and eight points.
There’s certainly a chance that the Canucks could flip Blueger at the deadline for a third-round pick. That would be a win for the organization, considering he’ll play just 14 games total before the deadline, if he suits up for all of the Canucks next four games.
However, there could be some value in keeping him as a leader for the next wave of Canucks players. Heck, he proved just earlier this month that he’s one of the few players willing to call out his teammates publicly.
“I think we’ve got to find some character in our group,” he said back on Feb. 5. “Just find…probably some more respect for each other, some appreciation to be in this league.”
Of course, the best-case scenario could be to flip him at the deadline and then bring him back on July 1 as a free agent. However, that scenario rarely plays out in reality.