It's going to be a completely new slate for first-year Toronto Maple Leafs forward Teddy Blueger , who was one of many free agent additions by general manager John Chayka since he took over from the fired Brad Treliving.
Blueger joins several new faces for the Maple Leafs in the upcoming season, which include the likes of Sergei Bobrovsky , Nick Paul , Darren Raddysh , Gavin McKenna, Jack Roslovic , Colton Sissons , Brandon Duhaime , and Emil Andrae .
Having played the last three seasons with the Vancouver Canucks , Blueger already knows the pressure of playing for a Canadian-based NHL club, and he's looking forward to his new start with Toronto .
Not long after making his debut in Da Beauty League, a summer league featuring a mix of NHL and college players, Blueger spoke glowingly of playing in Canada and stated his excitement of a fresh start in hockey's biggest market.
âJust because you really feel it in the culture, and the people are really passionate about hockey,â Blueger said earlier this week. âI feel like Torontoâs the center of that because obviously itâs an Original Six team.â
As one of several new faces that will take part in the Maple Leafs dressing room this season, Blueger knows that every player must fill a specific role, and he's looking forward to meshing with his new teammates.
âAs the team dynamics naturally take shape, everyone fills their roles,â Blueger said. âIf guys are able to jell well together, that usually leads to a successful team. I think itâs just like any workplace. It takes time to jell and get to know each other and build that chemistry and camaraderie.
âHaving a clean slate is also exciting because you do have a lot of really good players and an opportunity to hopefully do something.â
âThereâs already some really, really great players that are there and that theyâve signed,â Blueger said. âJust hopefully be a part of a good team and just do my part to contribute.â
Of course, one of those new teammates is Gavin McKenna, whom the Maple Leafs selected with the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft out of Penn State University.
âAnytime you get a No. 1 overall pick, thereâs a lot of hype, a lot of excitement and a lot of attention,â Blueger said. âMost of the time, those guys deliver.
âI think obviously the attention that heâs getting, just the media attention from what Iâve heard from guys in Toronto, itâll be a little bit different. Thatâll be interesting to see firsthand.â
Blueger was taken in the second round (52nd overall pick) by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2012 NHL Draft, where he would play until 2023 when he was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights ; he was part of their Stanley Cup-winning squad that spring.
He then signed a one-year contract with the Canucks, which he later parlayed into a two-year extension.
He's appeared in 453 career NHL games, and has scored 58 goals with 111 assists.
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