Former Penguin and first-rounder gets traded to the Devils

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Daniel Lucente
February 4, 2026 (2:51 PM)

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Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Nick Bjugstad lands with the New Jersey Devils after a St. Louis Blues trade, and it hits a soft spot for Pittsburgh Penguins fans.

St. Louis shipped Bjugstad to New Jersey for a mid-round pick and an AHL player, a clean "depth-now" swap.

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If you watched the Penguins in 2019, you remember what Bjugstad brings right away, size down the middle and honest minutes.

He never pretended to be a top-six star in Pittsburgh. He just tried to win his matchup and get to the crease.

In 32 games as a Penguin in 2018-19, he put up 9-5-14 and looked like a useful piece for a long spring.

Then the injuries and the churn showed up, and the fit never fully stabilized the next season.

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This season in St. Louis, Bjugstad had 6-1-7 in 35 games, mostly bottom-six work with a physical edge.

For the Devils, it’s a classic add: a right-shot center who can take draws and survive tough shifts.

For the Blues, it’s an asset play, turning a role player into a pick plus minor-league depth.

Pens fans are split on this type of move, because you love the simplicity, but you also know how fast the league chews up depth centers.

Bjugstad can still help a man advantage in small doses as a net-front screen, even if he’s not running the show.

The bigger value is penalty-kill structure and defensive-zone faceoffs, where coaches trust veterans.

Cap-wise, his $1.75 million cap hit is the kind of number contenders can actually fit without gymnastics.

If he gets rolling, you can already picture him as that annoying crease guy in a seven-game series.

And yes, it’s still weird seeing a former Penguin bounce around the Metro again.

Previously on HockeyUnplugged

POLL
FEVRIER 4\|88 ANSWERS Former Penguin and first-rounder gets traded to the Devils Do Pittsburgh Penguins fans still miss Nick Bjugstad?
Yes	27	30.7 %
No	61	69.3 %
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