Teddy Blueger is heading into his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs with plenty of enthusiasm, and he’s not hiding it.
Blueger signed a two-year, $5-million deal with the Maple Leafs in free agency, and the Latvian forward said he’s looking forward to taking on everything that comes with playing in Toronto. He spoke with NHL.com while skating in Minnesota before training camp begins next month, and made it clear he understands the pull of the city and the fan base.
"Just because you really feel it in the culture, and the people are really passionate about hockey,” Blueger said of Canada on Wednesday. “I feel like Toronto’s the center of that because obviously it’s an Original Six team."
For Blueger, this is a new step into Original Six territory. He spent the past three seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, finishing last year with nine goals and 17 points in 35 games for the NHL’s worst team. Before that, he logged parts of five seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, plus a brief stint with the Vegas Golden Knights as a rental for the 2023 playoffs.
Now he arrives in Toronto as a player who should fill a very specific need. Blueger has built his career around defensive work, taking on tough shifts and handling the kind of responsibilities that don’t always show up in the flashiest numbers.
In every season of his NHL career except his first, he has started less than 30 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. That kind of role could be a big help for a Maple Leafs team that has been looking for more balance, and it could give Auston Matthews more freedom to do what he does best.
Blueger sees the fit the same way.
“As the team dynamics naturally take shape, everyone fills their roles,” Blueger said. “If guys are able to gel well together, that usually leads to a successful team.
I think it’s just like any workplace. It takes time to gel and get to know each other and build that chemistry and camaraderie.
“Having a clean slate is also exciting because you do have a lot of really good players and an opportunity to hopefully do something.”
Toronto enters the season with a new general manager and a new coach, which gives the roster a fresh start. Blueger sounds eager to be part of it, and the Maple Leafs could use more players who are genuinely excited to wear the sweater.
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