Penguins forward Nick Bjugstad to miss rest of season following surgery
Penguins forward Nick Bjugstad has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2019-20 season following surgery for a herniated disc on Tuesday.
General manager Jim Rutherford announced Bjugstad’s status during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday.
“Bjugstad had a setback in his rehab,” Rutherford said. “He has surgery (Tuesday), and he won’t be available for the rest of this season.”
He is expected to be sideliend a mininum of eight weeks.
Bjugstad underwent surgery for a back injury in 2015 as a member of the Florida Panthers. It is uncertain if these injuries are related.
Prior to the NHL halting play March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic, Bjugstad had missed 56 of a possible 69 games this season with various ailments. In the 13 games he did play, he was limited to two points (one goal, one assist).
Bjugstad initially suffered a core muscle injury Oct. 5, then missed the ensuing nine games. He returned to the lineup Oct. 26 and tried to labor through the injury during the next eight games, only to undergo surgery for that injury by mid-November.
After being sidelined for 46 games from Nov. 16 through March 3, Bjugstad returned to the lineup March 5 and centered the team’s third line during a 4-2 road win against the Buffalo Sabres. He set up the contest’s opening goal by linemate Patric Hornqvist by crashing in on the net.
His return was short-lived as he suffered his back injury during a 6-2 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 8.
Bjugstad, 27, is in the fifth year of a six-year contract with a salary cap hit of $4.1 million. He is a pending unrestricted free agent after the 2020-21 season.
Rutherford was a bit more optimistic on the status of injured forward Jake Guentzel, sidelined since suffering a right shoulder injury Dec. 30.
“Jake is going through his rehab,” Rutherford said. “Things are progressing fine. We still have ways to go before we start playing. So we’re optimistic he’ll be able to play.”
Guentzel underwent surgery for the injury Dec. 31, and the initial time frame offered for his recovery was four to six months.
On Monday, the NHL announced plans to resume the 2019-20 season with a postseason beginning potentially in July and lasting potentially until October.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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