Earlier this off-season, the St. Louis Blues signed forward Nick Bjugstad to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.75 million. With the Blues needing more center depth, seeing them bring in Bjugstad ultimately made sense. This is especially so when noting that Radek Faksa ended up leaving St. Louis and going back to the Dallas Stars in free agency.
While Bjugstad is not the flashiest of players, this is a signing that could end up being a good one of the Blues. When playing at his best, the 33-year-old is a very consistent bottom-six forward who provides a bit of everything.
When looking at the Blues' current roster, Bjugstad should be a nice fit as their new fourth-line center. However, due to his versatility, he is also capable of playing right wing, so the Blues will have multiple options to consider with him. Furthermore, he will also give the Blues another player to work with for their penalty kill due to his steady defensive play.
During this past season with Utah, Bjugstad posted eight goals, 19 points, and 104 hits in 66 games. While his offense was a bit low, he has shown in the past that he can provide decent secondary scoring. Just back in 2023-24 with the Arizona Coyotes, Bjugstad posted 22 goals and 45 points in 76 games. He also had 17 goals and 29 points in 78 games split between the Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers in 78 games during the 2022-23 season. Thus, the possibility of him producing more offense while also being a physical player is there.
Overall, when noting that the Blues got Bjugstad at a cheap price and this is a short-term deal, it is hard not to like this move for St. Louis. It will be fascinating to see how much of an impact the 6-foot-5 forward can make for the Blues from here.
Another St. Louis Blues Prospect Benefitted From Being Captain, Ready To Take Next StepMARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — Quinton Burns was walking around the St. Louis Blues locker room recently during development camp like a pro.
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