Panthers’ Bjugstad sidelined four weeks with broken hand

The Panthers forward reflects on what he would tell himself in 2010 after he was drafted into the NHL.

The Florida Panthers will be without Nick Bjugstad for at least four weeks due to a broken hand suffered during Tuesday’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars.

“He’s got a broken hand. Probably four weeks for sure,” coach Gerard Gallant told reporters on Thursday. “It’s an opportunity for somebody.”

Bjugstad, the Panthers third line centre, scored 15 goals and 34 points in 67 games last season.

With Bjugstad sidelined, Jared McCann and 19-year-old Denis Malgin are the front-runners to fill the void.

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.