Penguins A to Z: Nick Bjugstad offers balance when healthy
While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 55 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.
Player: Nick Bjugstad
Position: Center
Shoots: Right
Age: 27
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 215 pounds
2019-20 NHL statistics: 13 games, two points (one goal, one assist)
Contract: Fifth year of a six-year contract with a salary cap hit of $4.1 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2021
Acquired: Trade, Feb. 1, 2019
This season: The high point of Bjugstad’s 2019-20 is easy to pinpoint. Especially because there aren’t many candidates for that designation.
After taking three-plus months to recover from a core muscle injury that had hindered him even longer, Bjugstad returned to the Penguins lineup and made an immediate — and literal — impact in a 4-2 road win against the Buffalo Sabres on March 5.
After Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist’s wrister from the left circle was fought off by goaltender Jonas Johansson, Bjugstad crashed into Johansson, keeping the rebound free for Hornqvist to clean up for a goal.
(Video courtesy NHL)
Centering a trio that night with Hornqvist at right wing and Jared McCann on left wing, Bjugstad allowed the Penguins to realize the potential of a legit third line with a blend of grit — by 2020’s standards at least — and skill. Such a line would make life a little easier for the top two lines centered by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as well as the fourth line with Teddy Blueger at the pivot.
The Penguins had the balance throughout their forward ranks they crave.
Three nights later, Bjugstad was injured again with an unrelated and undisclosed injury.
There are plenty of reasons to be intrigued by Bjugstad. He’s the team’s biggest player as well as its only regular right-handed draw in the faceoff circle.
And he has some skill as evidenced by the fact he was a first-round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2010 and enjoyed a 24-goal season with that franchise in 2014-15.
He even came up with a respectable nine goals in 32 games with the Penguins during the 2018-19 season after arriving in a trade last February.
But this season has been a mess.
To his credit, he tried to play through the core muscle injury he suffered in the second game of the season in early October. But that valor only worsened the injury to the point it required surgery in mid-November.
A setback of some sort in January appeared to cause his convalescence to linger until early March.
The future: The NHL’s indefinite pause March 12 has granted him time to recover from his latest ailment. Assuming that is the case (and the NHL’s season resumes), Bjugstad figures to slot back into the No. 3 center role.
Beyond the immediate concern of the 2019-20 season, the Penguins face a potential salary cap crunch, particularly with goaltenders Tristan Jarry and Matt Murray on expiring contracts, to say nothing of an uncertain financial landscape because of the NHL’s hiatus.
Finding a way to jettison Bjugstad’s considerable salary cap hit could be helpful as it pertains to the construction of the Penguins’ 2020-21 roster.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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