The Florida Panthers led the way on the first day of free agency this past summer, committing 18 years and $50.4 million dollars to six new players. Instead of loading up on skillguys, General Manager Dale Tallon opted to spend on adding depth/role players.
While the character and leadership he brought in is invaluable to a team that is expected to contend for the playoffs, the success and failure of Florida very much still rests on the shoulders of the team’s young stars.
In his first full season in the NHL, former Minnesota Golden Gopher Nick Bjugstad led the team in scoring with 38 points. While that mark was the lowest point total for any team leader, it certainly showed the potential that the big forward possesses.
After going scoreless in the team’s first 10 contests, Bjugstad has now scored in consecutive games and in Saturday’s loss to the Calgary Flames, had one of the more dominating games he has had in the pros.
Showing his prowess in front of the net, Bjugstad fought his way into some open space, kept his stick on the ice and was able to redirect a Willie Mitchell centering attempt and put the Panthers up 2-0 in the second period.
Not usually a mainstay on the penalty kill (0:36 seconds per game), Bjugstad played over two minutes against Calgary and while doing so put on full display his potential as a power forward.
Chasing a puck in the corner, Bjugstad was able to poke the puck free from defender Mark Giordano, take the puck, and make a move around another defender before whipping a shot on goaltender Jonas Hiller that just missed the net.
At 22 years old, Bjugstad has plenty of growing to do (in his game, already pretty tall as it is) and has been a very streaky player early on in his career. He already played the first ten games of the season without scoring, and last year only scored three times in his first 20 games played.
He went another 20 games without scoring later in the season, although he still had nine assists in that span. Then he got hot and had two separate scoring streaks – one where he had eight points (two goals, six assists) in a 11-game span and another where he had nine points (2 G, 7 A) in nine games.
The bigger power forwards sometimes need a little longer to find their scoring touch at the NHL level but there is no doubting that Bjugstad has plenty of it after scoring 46-goals his last two years as a Golden Gopher.
One of six former first round selections selected by the Panthers on the current roster, Bjugstad is part of a very young core that is expected to lead Florida back into hockey relevancy. Games like the Flames, reminds you how bright that future can be and that time is all that is needed.
Too bad time is the Panthers’ greatest ally as well as greatest villain.
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