Panthers Activate Bjugstad Off IR, Lose Petrovic For Two Months
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SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – The Florida Panthers will get a big boost on Tuesday as center Nick Bjugstad will make his season debut.
Bjugstad has yet to play this year after suffering a wrist injury during the preseason.
He was taken off of injured reserve on Monday. To make room on the roster, Florida sent forward Jared McCann to the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds.
"We are excited for Nick's return. He is a foundational player for us," said Panthers President of Hockey Operations Dale Tallon. "Jared has played very well for us this season, especially on our recent road trip, and is a big part of our future. He will be able to receive significant playing time, including special teams opportunities in the AHL, which will allow him to continue to develop into a top-six NHL forward with the Panthers."
Bjugstad, 24, is coming off of a tough season in which he picked up 34 points (15g 19a) in 67 games.
The big center has battled through several injures in recent years.
He joins a Panthers squad that is getting back on track after a very inconsistent start to the season.
Florida just completed a successful 3-1-0 road trip that included victories against top Eastern Conference teams in the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers.
Winners of four out of five and now sitting with a respectable 10-8-1 record, the Panthers return home for a pair games that bookend the Thanksgiving holiday.
Florida faces the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday and the red-hot Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
With Bjugstad back in the lineup, the Panthers now have five centers on their roster.
It's safe to say that three of the middlemen, Sasha Barkov, Vincent Trocheck and Derek MacKenzie will not be moved.
That means it will either be Bjugstad or 19-year-old Denis Malgin who shifts to the wing. Malgin has impressed the Panthers coaching staff since their summer rookie tournament and now sits with four goals and eight points on the season.
Bjudstad has never played on the wing during his time in the NHL so it will be interesting to see who head coach Gerard Gallant elects to move.
Either way, it's a good problem to have.
PETROVIC OUT TWO MONTHS
Of course when the hockey gods giveth, the hockey gods taketh away.
Defenseman Alex Petrovic was played on injured reserve and will miss eight weeks after suffering a broken ankle on the road trip.
Petrovic has been the Panthers most consistent blueliner this season and will be missed. It will be up to Jakub Kindl and Dylan McIlrath to fill in for Petrovic as Florida's sixth defenseman.
