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Panthers’ Nick Bjugstad undergoes season-ending back surgery

By Vinnie Criscenzo

Feb 13, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Florida Panthers center Nick Bjugstad (27) waits for play to begin against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The Stars shut out the Panthers 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 13, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Florida Panthers center Nick Bjugstad (27) waits for play to begin against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The Stars shut out the Panthers 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Florida Panthers will be without one of their best young forwards, as Nick Bjugstad undergoes season-ending back surgery.

If the Florida Panthers want to defy the odds and beat out the Boston Bruins and the Ottawa Senators for the final wild card spot in the east, they will need to do so without leading goal-scorer Nick Bjugstad.

Bjugstad underwent successful surgery on his lower back on Friday, which will count him out for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs, if the Panthers happen to qualify.

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General manager Dave Tallon said that Bjugstad has been playing through the injury for some time, but finally decided that it was something that needed to be addressed.

"After consulting with Nick and thoroughly evaluating the extent of his injury, we mutually felt it was important to have this procedure done as soon as possible. Nick showed a tremendous amount of character over the past month, playing through an injury, while helping our club compete down the final stretch for a playoff spot. He will be closely monitored by our medical staff during his rehabilitation process and will be ready for the start of training camp in September."

The Panthers have been giving him time off practice since a February 19th game against the Montreal Canadiens, which is when the injury is suspected to have occurred. Bjugstad last played in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Boston, but was limited to just 11:27 of ice time and didn’t play at all in the final six minutes of regulation or in overtime.

It will be a very difficult task for the Panthers to qualify for the playoffs without Bjugstad, who leads the team in goals with 24 and is second on the team in points behind Jonathan Huberdeau with 43. Despite battling through the injury, he was still able to put up three goals and four assists in 15 games since the suspected time of injury.

The Panthers will go on with the season without him, while Nick will focus on recovering and rehabbing for next season. He will enter the first year of his six-year, $24.6 million contract he signed with the Panthers back on Dec. 21.

H/T The Sun Sentinal

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