Florida's playoff hopes took a huge blow.
If the Florida Panthers manage to sneak into the playoffs this season, it appears they'll do it without their best goal-scorer.
The Panthers announced to the press on Friday that center Nick Bjugstad underwent back surgery in Minnesota and will miss the rest of the season.
The news doesn't come as a surprise to those following the team. The Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the Panthers had been giving Bjugstad practices off for the past month as he dealt with the back issue. His play had noticeably dropped as the season continued; after registering 11 points in November, Bjugstad only managed two goals and two assists in March before the Panthers shut him down.
The injury ends a breakout season for the 22-year-old center. Bjugstad began meeting his potential as a goal-scoring threat with size, finishing his season with team-leading 24 goals and 43 points in 72 games. Aleksander Barkov will likely slot into his spot and soak up his minutes in his absence.
Florida trails the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins by two points in the race for the Eastern Conference's final wild card spot with a handful of games left.
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1IFKYod
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