The Pittsburgh Penguins’ organizational history has a plethora of great players, and we’ve decided to go through the best Penguins’ players to wear each jersey number. Today, we continue the list by naming the best #53 in Penguins’ history.
Only three players in team history have worn #53, and all of them have been within the past five years. And there’s really only one player – the first one to don it – who can earn this distinction.
The best #53 in Penguins’ history is Teddy Blueger.
Blueger, from Riga, Latvia, was drafted 52nd overall by the Penguins in 2012. He played at Shattuck St. Mary’s and Minnesota State before playing professional hockey, and he made his NHL debut with the Penguins during the 2018-19 season.
Known for his strong defensive play and excellent penalty-killing, Blueger was a mainstay in the Penguins’ bottom-six for parts of five seasons. But he also has some offensive upside, producing at a pretty good clip for a fourth-line player.
For the Penguins, he was pretty adept at scoring shorthanded goals, including one tally against the Capitals in a 3-on-5 situation:
He scored three shorthanded goals during the shortened 2020-21 season, and he registered five during his tenure in Pittsburgh.
Over the course of his Penguins’ career, Blueger recorded 33 goals and 92 points in 250 games.
Blueger was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights at the 2023 trade deadline and won a Stanley Cup with the team. He signed a one-year deal in free agency with Vancouver in the 2023 offseason, and he was extended by the Canucks this summer for two years, $3.6 million.
Related: Best Penguins By Jersey Number: #52
Related: Best Penguins By Jersey Number: #51
Related: Best Penguins by Jersey Number: #50
