Wild sign Bjugstad to an interesting contract extension

Thoughts, Wild fans?

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 2 years ago
Wild sign Bjugstad to an interesting contract extension
Zuma Press

This just in, the Minnesota Wild have signed forward Nick Bjugstad to a one year, $900,000 contract extension.

Check it out:


The 28 year old forward put up just six goals and 17 points in 44 games for the Wild this past season and, quite frankly, did not look like he was in the team's long-term plans at the conclusion of the season. After all, this is the third consecutive season in which the former 1st round draft pick has struggled to provide offence. He broke into the NHL as a 20 year old with the Florida Panthers after the team selected him 19th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and looked to be an absolute stud in the making. He racked up 16 goals and 38 points in his first NHL season and bested that with 24 goals and 43 points the very next campaign. His best NHL season came in 2017-18 when he put up 19 goals and 49 points with the Panthers.

Since then though the Minneapolis native has struggled through injuries and inconsistencies with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Wild. Now though, it seems like Wild GM Bill Guerin is willing to give Bjugstad another shot. And, to be honest, that's probably a wise decision even if Bjugstad doesn't pan out. At 6 foot, 6 inches and 210 pounds, Bjugstad is a big body player with a deadly wrist shot. If he can get his game back on track, he could be a contributor for the Wild in their top six forward grouping. To me, this is a low-risk / high-reward signing from Guerin and certainly one that could end up paying huge dividends. On the other hand, if Bjugstad flames out the team can easily part ways with him next offseason and let him walk away as an unrestricted free agent. The skill and size are both there with Bjugstad and he's been an intriguing player since he entered the league with the Panthers back in 2012, but you have to imagine that this contract is his final chance to really cement himself as a quality everyday NHL forward. Again, it'll be interesting to see how his season unfolds in 2021-22.