I know nothing of Blueger except for reading boxscores and what I hear on HF Pens. How would he do as a 3c longterm, would he still excel if given more of a defensively responsible role? Also, it always seems like one of the requirements for a Pens 3c is to be able to play 1c or 2c for extended amounts of time, until the last few years, it seemed like they would always be used in that type of role.
Same. Although from what I've read/understand him in a defensive role wouldn't be the issue. The question would be (like most young AHL players) how much of his offense would translate from the AHL to the NHL, especially as one of the knocks against him was his lack of upper end speed.
That said, my comment was more so based on what we've seen from Rutherford/Sullivan and just general common sense on how GMs/Coaches operate then on anything Blueger has or hasn't done this year. They don't trade their 3c (Brassard) late in the season even when they're playing like shit, and put in a rookie who's never played an NHL game in to replace him. And should that happen (Brassard getting traded) I would expect to see Sheahan there instead, but even if TB gets games, and potentially even some looks as the 3c until a replacement is found, I still do not see JR/Sully trusting him as the 3c for a playoff run this spring. There's just not enough time to form any real opinion on him between now and the TD due to sample size.
The same thing will happen next season. Blueger will get a L4 role as either the center or on the wing. Best case scenario (for him personally) is that he proves himself, and when injuries hit he can step up and show he's ready for a bigger role going forward. However that had better happen early on, because if we're looking for a 3c later on in the season and TB hasn't had the chance to really shine, he won't get the trust then either. But that's next season, not this season. This season we're either going with Sheahan or going shopping as I do not see Brassard on our roster in a month.
