The Colorado Avalanche moved on from fourth-line center Jack Drury a couple of days ago, as he was traded before the 2026 NHL Draft. On Sunday, more details emerged, as Drury signed an extension with the Nashville Predators worth $4.5 million annually over a five-year period.
For a fourth-line center, that was never going to happen with the Avalanche, and that’s exactly why they decided to trade him, even though it’s disappointing that he’s still in the Central Division, reuniting with Chris MacFarland.
Down the middle, the Avalanche have Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri and Nicolas Roy. It’s possible Roy gets that fourth spot, but if not, there is another player who could take the role, and he’s soon to be a free agent.
That would be Teddy Blueger. Blueger, 31, has spent the last three years with the Vancouver Canucks, recording 23 goals and 48 assists in that time. He had nine goals and eight assists in 35 games this past year.
A fourth-line player is there to protect the lead and try to be as physical as possible while the guys who get a lot more minutes take a breather.
Blueger can also play on the penalty kill, which would be a nice depth move for a team who had one of the best PK units in all of the NHL this past season.
Blueger’s faceoff win percentage last season was the lowest it’s been in the last seven years, though it was still hanging around 50%, at 48.1%. That wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me to at least give him a look.
You’re really not expecting much for the fourth-line depth piece. All the Avs can really do is ask whether or not Blueger will fit what they are wanting to do going forward. He’s an inexpensive target that could pay off tremendously.
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