The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed Teddy Blueger to a nice value contract. Blueger will make 2.2M for the next two years. Blueger is a very effective fourth line center. I think he is a tweener in the sense he is not quite a full time third line center on a contender but a really good fourth line center not unlike Matt Cullen.



Blueger excels defensively and allows Mike Sullivan to bury his line with defensive zone starts. Blueger is also an exceptional penalty killer. In a vacuum I really like this deal. There’s really not anything not to like. The term covers what are hypothetically the Penguins last two kicks at the can and the money is good value. When you leave the vacuum the deal does raise one big question. Are the Penguins tipping their hand with their expansion protection list?

Why now for the deal? Why not negotiate with Blueger after the draft? Perhaps they feel strongly he is a part of the future and they know he is because they will use a slot to protect him. Personally, as much as I like Blueger as a player in the role he plays and the contract I think it would be a misstep to use a protection slot on him.

This would open the door for either Jeff Carter or Jared McCann to be exposed and those two would be difficult to replace players on the team while replacing a 4th line center is not as tough of a task. Given how Jeff Carter played for the Penguins last season good luck finding that kind of value at 2.6M. Hell, the Penguins couldn’t even find a competent third line center for any AAV since 2017 until Carter.

Do the Penguins really want to leave this player available for Seattle?



There is no reason to galaxy brain the expansion draft. Protect your third line players over fourth line players. If Seattle takes a fourth line player is that not the best-case scenario? Am I really to believe replacing a fourth line player is too difficult of a task for this front office? Even if it is Teddy Blueger it is something the Penguins can overcome and move forward from. Replacing 3rd line players with minimal cap space and assets to spend? That seems a lot harder to accomplish.

Nice contract for Blueger, but don’t use a protection slot on him.

Thanks for reading!

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