Teddy Blueger floors Radko Gudas, but the Canucks’ biggest issue remains
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Daniel Lucente
Apr 14, 2026 (9:14)
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Photo credit: © Corinne Votaw-Imagn Images
Teddy Blueger flattening Radko Gudas hit Canucks fans hard, because fight clips are fun, but Vancouver's real problem still sits deeper than one pop.
The scrap made noise on April 13, and for good reason. Blueger finished the exchange and left Gudas on the ice.
Gudas has a long memory bank around the league, and any clean answer to him travels fast online.
Blueger is not Vancouver's poster boy, yet he keeps ending up in honest hockey moments. Through 33 games this season, he has 9-8-17.
Blueger is doing bottom-six work, killing plays early, pressuring off the rush, and giving this lineup a pulse when the stars are not driving it.
You can see the exact moment the fight turns, Blueger stays balanced, resets his grip, and Gudas loses the frame.
Teddy Blueger has become a Vancouver Canucks pressure valve
Fans are right to like this, because the clip feels like payback and relief in the same breath.
Still, one won fight does not fix a broken season. Vancouver beat Anaheim 4-3 in overtime on April 12, but this team is still playing for pride, not for a playoff spot.
Blueger's value is clearer in a year like this. He gives coaches a trustworthy matchup center, a first read on the penalty kill, and a forward willing to drag teammates into the fight.
That creates a front-office question. If the Canucks want 2026-27 to look different, they need more forwards who can hold structure and push pace, not just win the odd emotional moment.
Blueger handled Gudas for the boys, sure. The bigger message is that Vancouver still leans too hard on workers like him to cover holes higher in the lineup.
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