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Former Fan-Favourite Penguin Making Waves on His New Team
The St. Louis Blues have signed former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Bjugstad to a 1 year deal, and he could fit in nicely with his new club, signaling a potential missed opportunity for Kyle Dubas.
The 1 year contract for former Penguins forward Nick Bjugstad, who joined the St. Louis Blues after playing last year with the Utah Hockey Club.
He's likely to fit in nicely in the Blues bottom-6 of forward lines, a role that he previously had with the Penguins with limited success.
Per analyst Todd Matthews of Bleedin' Blue, Bjugstad's addition could pay strong dividends for the Blues this year, especially given the level of competition in the Central Division.
Expect Bjugstad to slide into the lower lines, possibly seeing play on both the third and fourth as the season wears on. If he emulates the role Faksa played and transforms it to another level, then the Blues are gonna be even deeper this season.
Should the Penguins Have Brought Nick Bjugstad Back?
Did the Penguins miss a chance to add valuable depth to their bottom-6 again?
Bjugstad once reached 49 points (19G, 30A) with the Florida Panthers in 2017-18, and was acquired by the Penguins with Jared McCann for Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, a 2nd round pick, and a pair of 4th round picks in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
Bjugstad had 14 points (9G, 5A) in his 1st 32 games with Pittsburgh, but was traded to the Minnesota Wild after scoring only once in 2020-21 in 13 games.
Bjugstad also later played for the Oilers, and had 3 goals in the 2023 postseason in 12 games played.
So far in his NHL career, he has 330 points (157G, 173A).
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 7 | 33 ANSWERS Former Fan-Favourite Penguin Making Waves on His New Team Should the Penguins Have Brought Nick Bjugstad Back? | ||
| Yes | 9 | 27.3 % |
| No | 24 | 72.7 % |
| List of polls | ||