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.
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?