For Sven Baertschi, every shift over the past week must have felt like a gift.
The 26-year-old winger was off to a strong start in 2018-19, tallying six points in his first nine games, when suddenly his season came to a screeching halt from a of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Initially, Baertschi thought he was fine. He popped back up this feet and finished his shift, which only lasted a few more seconds. He skated to the bench, had words with the referee for not calling the hit, and sat down. He even took three more shifts in the second period, though, according to the scoresheet, his final shift lasted just seven seconds.
鈥淎lthough he hit me on the head, at first I thought I could finish the match,鈥� Baertschi , 鈥渂ut then suddenly I felt so bad that I had to be examined by the doctor.鈥�
Baertschi was out for over two months while recovering from the concussion. He tried skating a month into his recovery, but got dizzy after 15 minutes. As soon as he started moving and spinning, everything went blurry and he got a headache. His thoughts turned to his family and make sure that he could still enjoy his life with them after his hockey career was over.
When Baertschi finally made his return, he picked up where he left off, with another six points in nine games, but something felt off. Eventually, he missed nearly two more months with post-concussion syndrome. At that point, there were concerns in the Canucks fanbase that his career might be over.
Baertschi stayed diligent, however, and made his return in late March. When he a couple games later, it was a long time coming.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing like it, scoring a goal,鈥� said Baertschi. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the same feeling every time and it鈥檚 really exciting. Soon as the puck went in, it was a nice relief. You know it鈥檚 been a while.鈥�
Canucks head coach Travis Green has eased Baertschi back into the lineup, limiting his ice time and even scratching him once to make sure they don鈥檛 rush his return.
鈥淵ou can train as much as you want off the ice and then you can do conditioning by itself, it鈥檚 just nothing like game-like, it鈥檚 completely different,鈥� said Baertschi. 鈥淢y game is getting better and better, I鈥檓 feeling more comfortable out there again. Once it all comes together, it鈥檚 just feeling confident out there and playing like you used to play, not shy away from hits, not shy away from the actual game.鈥�
Baertschi certainly hasn鈥檛 been shy. He鈥檚 been involved at both ends of the ice, winning puck battles along the boards and getting to the front of the net. His injury and recovery have only steeled him for the future, embracing every single shift like it might be his last.
鈥淎s I鈥檓 looking forward, it鈥檚 still hockey, things happen out there,鈥� said Baertschi. 鈥淚鈥檓 just taking every shift really serious and trying to leave it all out there as much as I can. So far I feel really comfortable and I鈥檓 really confident that after this off-season I鈥檒l come back and be even better.鈥�
That could make a big difference for next season. The Canucks have lacked secondary scoring behind the big three of Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat, and Brock Boeser. In terms of points-per-game, Baertschi is fourth among Canucks forwards behind that trio. A healthy Baertschi wouldn鈥檛 have fixed everything for the Canucks this past season, but he definitely would have helped.
鈥淚 think his numbers don鈥檛 lie,鈥� said Horvat. 鈥淲hen he鈥檚 been in the lineup, he鈥檚 been scoring and producing, so it鈥檚 unfortunate that he had that one hit. I think, for him, to go through that adversity and still come back and play as well as he has, I think that shows a lot about him.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a huge part of this team, even in the room. Having him around the guys, it lifted us.鈥�
It鈥檚 only fair that Baertschi helped lift the spirits of his teammates in his return, as they lifted his while he was out.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e the best teammates, man,鈥� said Baertschi. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been unbelievable through this whole process, checking in on me every day and even when the boys were on the road, I got messages from them, guys just checking in every single day, and I never got tired of it. I was just so excited that the guys cared so much.鈥�
His teammates might have missed him most on the power play. Among skaters that have played at least 50 minutes with the man advantage, Baertschi has been the Canucks most efficient scorer. His 2.32 power play goals per hour is first on the Canucks, as is his 5.41 power play points per hour.
That is in a small sample size 鈥� he has just seven power play points overall this season 鈥� but it鈥檚 a continuation of his excellence on the power play in the past.
Over the past three seasons, only Boeser has been a more efficient power play goal scorer, averaging 2.46 goals per hour to Baertschi鈥檚 2.27. In points per hour, Baertschi is fifth, behind Thomas Vanek, Boeser, Pettersson, and Daniel Sedin.
The underlying numbers back up his counting stats. , with Baertschi on the ice on the power play this season, the Canucks have averaged 78.87 unblocked shot attempts per hour, 57.22 shots on goal per hour, and 57.99 scoring chances per hour. Baertschi leads the Canucks in all three of those categories.
So, a healthy Baertschi next season could not only provide the Canucks with another top-six winger for Pettersson or Horvat, but also boost the struggling power play, which has been among the league鈥檚 worst this season. That would depend on Baertschi making a full recovery, so that he鈥檚 not just playing minimal minutes, but potentially playing big minutes on the top six and on the first power play unit.
When Baertschi is at his best, he鈥檚 playing instinctively. Coming back from an injury like he had can make a player question those instincts and think too much. That鈥檚 what he鈥檚 trying to avoid.
鈥淵ou just gotta go for it, man, you just gotta play and not really think out there, whatever is there, you take it,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I play my best, I play on instinct. Sometimes unorthodox plays, but I just try to make reads out there and understand what other guys are trying to do and then feed off that, read off that, and then good things happen.鈥�
Where did those instincts come from?
鈥淭hey were passed along from my dad,鈥� he says with a smile. Baertschi鈥檚 father, Hansruedi (or Hans-Rudolf) Baertschi, played in the top two leagues in Switzerland back in the 80鈥檚. As a junior hockey player in Switzerland, Baertschi even played for the same team as his dad did 25 years earlier, SC Langenthal.
鈥淚 think he quit the year I was born, or just right after, so I didn鈥檛 have a chance to watch him,鈥� said Baertschi. 鈥淚 saw pictures and stuff, which is cool growing up...It鈥檚 something that鈥檚 passed along and our family has always been somewhat of a hockey family, even my brother 鈥� if he would鈥檝e kept playing, he would鈥檝e been a great goalie.鈥�
Having that hockey history in his family, not to mention an older brother against whom he could take endless shots on the outdoor rink near their home, honed his instincts, but the NHL was a distant dream back then. A big reason why was the lack of Swiss players in the NHL.
鈥淕rowing up in Switzerland at that time as a young kid, there was Martin Gerber in net, [David] Aebischer was here in net, and at some point Mark Streit decided to come over and give it a shot,鈥� said Baertschi. 鈥淕rowing up as a kid, you almost look at it as being impossible.鈥�
Eventually that dream became, as Baertschi says, a goal, and he became part of the next generation of Swiss players to succeed in the NHL, a generation that includes the likes of Roman Josi, Nino Niederreiter, Luca Sbisa, and Yannick Weber. A few years later, more young Swiss players followed in their footsteps: Kevin Fiala, Timo Meier, and 2017 first-overall pick, Nico Hischier. Now young Swiss players have plenty of examples to follow in the NHL.
鈥淔or me, it was really just a dream,鈥� he said. 鈥淥nce I went to Portland, after games we would speak to scouts, all of a sudden. People walked up to you with different tracksuits or hats that had an NHL logo on it and all of a sudden it becomes, 鈥榃hat, they鈥檙e interested in me?鈥欌��
鈥淭here鈥檚 a chance, even if the chance is small,鈥� he added. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a possibility you go somewhere, play in the best league in the world, and that鈥檚 all you really need to know. Once you have that in front of you, you鈥檙e striving for that, there鈥檚 nothing that can really stop you.鈥�
Baertschi isn鈥檛 letting his struggles this past season stop him either, as he鈥檚 turned new dreams into goals now that he鈥檚 solidified his place in the NHL. Now every shift feels like a chance to get closer to that goal, playing the game he loves, with the people that have supported him through the most trying time of his life.
鈥淚鈥檓 just really blessed and happy to be around the guys again and play hockey again,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not taking anything for granted here.鈥�
听
