Baertschi blossoms as free agency approaches
The hunters have PHILADELPHIA become the hunted.
In the alignment of Sven Baertschi, Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser, the Vancouver Canucks have a top line that’s in step with today’s fastpaced National Hockey League. It’s also going to be in the crosshairs on this telling six-game road trip that’s compressed into 10 demanding days.
The trio is young and fast. It fashions scoring opportunities via the trifecta of timing, talent and tenacity. And nobody is going to benefit more this season if this continues than Baertschi, who will be a restricted free agent next summer.
“I feel like I feed off the team’s energy a lot and that’s why I want to put that aside,” he said of his expiring two-year, US$3.7-million extension. “It’s a contract year and it’s important, but the way it’s been going with the team is all I care about.
“That’s why I think I’ve had some success and now it’s going to be about keeping it going and being consistent. I don’t know if we can keep the same pace up because there are going to be games where it’s going to be tougher for us.
“But we always find ways to create something — even off the forecheck.”
Baertschi took seven goals into Tuesday’s meeting with the Philadelphia Flyers and was on pace for a career-best 28. With his line accounting for nearly half of the club’s production in the first 20 games — 22 of 51 goals and nine of 13 power-play goals — this is not some mirage that’s going to simply vanish one day.
There’s too much at play here. There is natural skill, a collective willingness to adapt to systems and an individual killer instinct.
You don’t just combine for 11 points (4-7) against the defending Stanley Cup champions in a 4-2 home ice victory on Nov. 4 by accident. It’s the ability to mount offence through the staples of the rush, forecheck and transition.
Still, it’s not going to be easy to sustain all that with top shutdown lines and top pairings awaiting the trio at every road stop — Boeser had one road goal in his first 17 games — but listen to how Baertschi views it. For him, it’s more about anticipation than trepidation.
“It’s a real challenge and when you play against top guys — that’s when you enjoy it the most,” the 25-year-old native of Bern, Switzerland, said. “So, it’s going to be huge for us because we know there are going to be tough matchups and we have roll with it.”
That’s where past struggles have given Baertschi a new perspective on his playing future.
He’s far removed from ego-shattering moments in the Calgary Flames’ organization and some tough Canucks love. Watch him play today. No head on a swivel. Everything on instinct. That’s maturity and confidence.
“That’s when I play my best — I’m not good at thinking the game,” added Baertschi, who needs to shoot more (32 shots) because his accuracy (21.9 per cent) is telling. “Honestly, it’s more me acting than reacting and it’s kind of going with the flow and understanding what’s happening out there.”