Canucks: Sven Baertschi deserves another chance
Sven Baertschi has always been good enough to play in the National Hockey League and he deserves another chance to prove it with the Vancouver Canucks.
The Vancouver Canucks have come a long way since Sven Baertschi was considered the team’s best left-winger. Just a year removed from a concussion riddled season that sent him on a depth chart free fall, it seems that the 27-year-old native of Switzerland has been forgotten by Canucks management altogether. But why?
What happened
Before missing 56 games of the 2018-19 season, three years prior to that, Baertschi started to become a consistent point producer in the NHL. Stapled to the wing of Bo Horvat, the two created a unique chemistry that continued into the following seasons. Their momentum gained speed once more when Brock Boeser was added into the mix and Baertschi’s numbers soared above half a point per game (0.547).
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With the Sedin twins now retired, the “B-line” was the best thing going for Vancouver at the time. But with Daniel gone and Baertschi now the next best left-shot winger in need of a contract, he got himself paid. A three-year deal was reached worth an annual amount of $3,366,666 US. It was a fair deal for both sides and Baertshi had three straight seasons of middle six numbers to back it up. The only red flag before his renewal was the fact that he’d never been an 82-game kind of guy. Minor injuries had a way of popping up and usually kept him sidelined at least once a year, but that’s quite common in such a high-intensity league. They took the chance anyway.
Expected to return to form and earn his $10 million, Baertschi struggled to stay healthy in 2018-19. Concussion issues held him back for the majority of the season and when the year came to an end, the tired and frustrated Baertschi only played in 26 games. Of the games he did play, he just didn’t appear to be himself. He lacked confidence chasing down the puck, and getting into the dirty areas, he grew fearful.
2019 preseason
2018-19 was a big disappointment for Baertschi which led management to make some difficult summertime decisions. With a promise of a return to playoff hockey by Jim Benning, reviewing all the roster’s weaknesses was a must. Looking into things further, Baertschi’s injury struggles stood out. For too long he had left a hole deeply wounding the organization, holding the team back from where they needed to be. A 56 game absence from 2018-19, missing 29 games the year before and 14 the year before that was all supporting proof of that. It was time things needed to change.
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Missing nearly 60 games with lingering concussion issues, Baertschi’s contract was a tough one to move as nobody had seen him play, nobody thought he would be worth the risk. He himself thought otherwise. Sick of nagging injuries and being an unhealthy player, Baertschi was sent down a path where he was determined to return to his former self and make a splash inside the Canucks’ top-nine.
Passing the eye-test in the preseason with two goals and two assists in four games, Baertschi looked as if the concussion was in the rearview mirror. His chemistry with Adam Gaudette stood out and seemed to create a dynamic that would help propel this team into finally having a scoring top-nine.
But by then, in the eyes of management, the damage had already been done. It didn’t matter how good Baertschi was going to be in those preseason games. Regardless of the fact that his concussion held him back from being traded in the summer, the organization had already moved on from Baertschi being a contributing piece to this team. The trades and UFA signings that summer indicated that Benning was ready for a grittier approach than he believed Baertschi could provide.
2019-20 AHL season
Baffled by the final decision management made for Baertschi to report to the Utica Comets, he actually took the assignment extremely well. Like a professional, he smiled at the camera every chance he got and answered every question without anger.
Baertschi’s NHL presence on an AHL ice surface was noticeable, to say the least. Utica dominated out of the gate with an impressive 8-0 record through October. Lacing up the skates in seven of those eight games, Baertschi effortlessly notched 10 points.
As the year went on, Baertschi got a six-game look with the Canucks registering 2 assists, but it wasn’t the look he was hoping for. He knew he had to score goals to stay up with the team and that just didn’t happen. It felt unfair considering his background and who on the team made the final cut over him, but that was more for an overall team standpoint than individual position.
Stuck back in Utica, Baertschi racked up 46 points in 43 games (1.07 PPG) and returned to form completely symptom-free of concussions. Avoiding the injury bug at the AHL level, Baertshi has proven he’s healthy and he’s proven he’s still an NHL talent, at least he thinks he is. I would have to agree with him.
What’s next?
Baertschi talked with TSN and they revealed in an article that he has zero interest in playing hockey in Europe. He believes in his game, he believes he can play on any of the 31 NHL teams, and the ball is in the Canucks’ court on how to deal with that moving forward.
Likely, Baertschi feels cheated by the Canucks management and moving him this summer would probably be the best course of action for both parties. But that doesn’t mean Baertschi still doesn’t carry value for this team. If he’s willing to accept a call-up at this point, he could be a very valuable depth piece for if hockey returns to some capacity this year.
Beyond a playoff push this year, Baertschi still has a single-season remaining that links him to playing under the Canucks or Comets name. As it stands now, even though he’s proved his health and his game are both on a level suitable for the NHL, it doesn’t appear management is interested in him being brought back into the fold.
In my opinion, this entire situation was mishandled and because of it, the Canucks will suffer the consequences. They’ve turned a middle-six NHL player against them at the same time as they’ve diminished his trade value. They’ll be lucky if they come out on top of a trade that involves him this summer.
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Baertschi deserves another shot in the NHL. If he’s still willing to play for the Canucks, they should let him. What do you think? Is Baertschi still an everyday NHL player?