Teddy Blueger is ready. He's been ready.
But he's still waiting for his first NHL game.
Blueger has come close to that shot. He earned his first recall last season and spent 11 days traveling and practicing in Pittsburgh, but didn't get to play after the Penguins' initial injury situation improved before the first game. He seemed poised to earn his first chance this season, but the Penguins reclaiming of Jean Sebastien-Dea was a setback for Blueger.
The organization's coaches like what they see from the 24-year-old Latvian center.
"He's a smart, two-way player," Mike Sullivan said last season after Blueger's first recall. "He's got good hockey sense at both ends of the rink. He's got awareness away from the puck, he's sound defensively, he's a good penalty killer."
“Played every situation, can kill penalties, really good player,” Clark Donatelli said at the Penguins development camp. “Teddy can play games in the NHL. He made it up last year but didn’t get any games. But he’s got a fine future ahead of him. He’s ready to play.”
“He’s determined,” Blueger's former teammate and current Penguins development coach Tom Kostopolous told Chris Bradford over the summer. “You can trust him in any situation, offense, defense. He’s a leader in the room even though he’s very young. If he keeps working at it, which I’m sure he will, he’ll be here very soon.”
"He’s moving his feet. He’s smart," said director of player development Scott Young during the 2017 camp. "He’s really good on the penalty kill. I thought he played really, really well (in the rookie tournament). It seems like he has a good all-around game. He thinks the game very well. He sees the ice. He knows how to take away passing lanes.”
And yet, 29 games into the 2018-19 season, Blueger remains in the AHL, waiting for his debut. He leads the team in scoring with nine goals and 12 assists, and is exhibiting the same strong defensive play and penalty kill work that has earned him praise. His skating, his main focus over the past few years, has greatly improved.
Blueger scored this shorthanded breakaway goal in a win over Lehigh Valley this week:
"I thought I had a pretty good (Pittsburgh training) camp, and with that in mind, hopefully I'd get a good start down here and some point down the line get a call up," Blueger told me this week. "Obviously it hasn't happened, that's definitely very frustrating."
For now, Blueger says the best thing he can do for himself is just focus on the games in front of him, and avoid thinking about a potential call up as much as he can.
Of all the prospects I've spoken too over the past two years, Blueger is the one who will be the first to express dissatisfaction with his own play, even when he's performing well. He's always driven to play better. While that remains his focus, staying in Wilkes-Barre this long is still tough for him.
"It's kind of a grind mentally," said Blueger. "It seems a lot of times I'm right there, and it just doesn't happen for whatever reason. It's not like I get an explanation each time someone else is called up, but it seems like the way I'm playing, it's been a long time where I'm right there. Unfortunately it hasn't come yet."
Blueger isn't expecting an explanation each time he is passed over, but he's also not getting a message from coaches that there is any one thing preventing him from earning a shot. There are minor details he'd like to work on, of course. This season, one of his biggest focuses has been getting his release off quicker, something he hopes will lead to more goals.
The real message from the coaching staff has just been "keep plugging away, keep working," he says.
Blueger has seen an increased role off the ice this season, as he's been wearing one of the alternate captain 'A's in some games. At 24, most players on Wilkes-Barre's roster are older than Blueger. With 163 games of AHL experience under his belt, he's still more experienced than some of the other young players on the roster. With his drive, awarding him one of the rotating 'A's was a no-brainer. It's an honor, but not anything he has had to adjust to.
"For me, as far as wearing a letter, I don't think that changes anything," he said. "I try to play the same way and bring it every game and set the tone every practice, just compete."
A role Blueger hasn't seen this season is that of a winger. With Pittsburgh's center depth, it would help Blueger to have the versatility of being able to play other forward positions. That hasn't happened yet in his AHL career, and as far as Blueger is aware, the coaching staff has no plans to move him in the lineup.
Blueger played some wing in college, and believes he could still be successful in that position if he is needed.
"I feel like that's something I could definitely do and adapt to," said Blueger of playing wing. "I think that's something I can definitely do, but I guess for whatever reason I've always been a center here."
There's not much more Blueger can do this point but focus on winning in Wilkes-Barre, and wait. He's beyond ready for his shot, and he should get one this season. But it's not clear what it will take for that to happen.
MORE FROM WILKES-BARRE
• Dec. 12: at Springfield, 2-1 shootout win
• Dec. 15: vs. Lehigh Valley, 5-2 win
• Dec. 16: at Bridgeport, 1-0 loss
• Zach Trotman remains out of the lineup with an injury sustained on Nov. 10. Chris Summers was injured from a hit in Wednesday's game and is week-to-week. Thomas Di Pauli left Sunday's game after a hit.
• Springfield scored first in Wednesday's game, and Adam Johnson scored his eighth goal of the season in the second period. After a scoreless third period and overtime period, the game went to a shootout. Johnson, Di Pauli, and newly-acquired Ben Sexton all scored in the shootout. Tristan Jarry stopped one of two Springfield shooters, and made 34 saves on 35 shots for the win. The power play went 1-for-3, and the penalty kill was perfect on two opportunities.
• After a scoreless first period and a Philip Samuelsson goal for Lehigh Valley in the second period, Teddy Blueger's shorthanded breakaway goal Saturday tied the game in the first period and fittingly kicked off the annual Teddy Bear Toss. Ryan Haggerty scored his second and third goals of the season, and the Phantoms added another tally before the end of the second period. Sam Lafferty extended the Penguins' lead in the third period with another shorthanded goal, and Haggerty's empty netter completed the hat trick. Jarry made 29 saves on 31 shots for the win. Wilkes-Barre's power play went 0-for-3, and the penalty kill was perfect through six opportunities.
Lafferty had his first career fight, and Will O'Neill fought simultaneously on Saturday:
• Sebastian Aho's goal for Bridgeport 5:47 into the first period was the only goal of Sunday's game. Anthony Peters made 24 saves on 25 shots in the loss. Wilkes-Barre recorded 33 shots in the loss, including a missed penalty shot attempt from Jarrett Burton in the second period. The power play went 0-for-6, and the penalty kill went 5-for-5.
• Blueger moved into sole place for the team lead in goals, with nine in 29 games.
•Lafferty moved into sole place for the team lead in assists, with 13 in 29 games.
• Blueger leads in points, with 21 in 29 games
• Lines and defense pairings from Sunday:
Thomas Di Pauli – Teddy Blueger – Anthony Angello
Adam Johnson – Sam Lafferty – Ben Sexton
Joseph Cramarossa – Linus Olund – Ryan Haggerty
Troy Josephs – Jarrett Burton – Jimmy Hayes
Kevin Czuczman – Tim Erixon
Jeff Taylor – Will O’Neill
Matt Abt – Ethan Prow
• After this week, the Penguins improved to 14-11-3-1. They remain in fifth place in the Atlantic Division. The power play fell to 14.3 percent, and the penalty kill improved to 77 percent, still only second-worst in the league.
• The Penguins will have another three games this week. They’ll host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (17-8-3-1) on Wednesday, and visit the Hershey Bears (11-15-0-2) on Friday and Syracuse Crunch (15-7-2) on Saturday.
GOALS OF THE WEEK
Johnson scored the Penguins' lone goal on Wednesday:
Haggerty scored these two goals on his way to a hat trick on Saturday:
Lafferty's snipe was the Penguins' second shorthanded goal of the game, on a night where Wheeling and Pittsburgh also scored shorthanded goals. A good night for the penalty kills all around:
SAVE OF THE WEEK
Jarry made this close stop with his shoulder:
WILKES-BARRE FUN THING
The Penguins had their dad trip this past weekend. That means Jarry's dad got a double dad trip!
It’s the second annual #WBSPens Fathers’ weekend. The dads are in town today and traveling with the team to Bridgeport for Sunday’s game. pic.twitter.com/GlxR2lmaBJ
— WBS Penguins (@WBSPenguins) December 15, 2018