Utah HC Rumors: Nick Bjugstad Becoming Prime Trade Candidate

The Utah Hockey Club currently has a 24-23-9 record and is six points behind the Vancouver Canucks for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. With this, there is a good chance that we could see some of their players moved before the trade deadline passes.

One specific player who should generate plenty of interest as we continue to get closer to the March 7 deadline is forward Nick Bjugstad.

Bjugstad is currently a pending unrestricted free agent, so he should be a popular target for contenders looking to add to their bottom six. The 32-year-old forward offers plenty of options, as he can play both down the middle and on the wing. This naturally adds to his appeal.

Bjugstad has appeared in 48 games this season with Utah HC, where he has five goals, 15 points, 82 hits, and a minus-8 rating. This is after he had 22 goals, 45 points, and a plus-11 rating in 76 games this past season.

Bjugstad also offers value because he has plenty of experience. In addition, the 6-foot-6 forward provides grit and also works nicely on the penalty kill because of his defensive play.

It will be very fascinating to see what happens with Bjugstad from here, but as it stands right now, a trade undoubtedly looks likely.

photo credit: