Forward Nick Bjugstad signed a six-year contract extension with the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. Financial terms were not released, but the Miami Herald reported the average annual value to be $4.1 million.
Bjugstad, 22, leads the Panthers with 13 goals and 21 points. He also led them in scoring last season, his first full NHL season, with 38 points.
"We are very pleased to have agreed to a long-term contract with Nick," Panthers general manager Dale Tallon told the Panthers website. "He is a big, strong and skilled forward who will play an important role on our club for the next several seasons."
Bjugstad could have become a restricted free agent after the season. The extension starts next season and keeps him with the Panthers through the 2020-21 season.
"I want to be a Panther for a long time; I love it down here," Bjugstad told the website. "I wanted to get the process going; I didn't want to worry about it. … I just want to play hockey. That was the main thing; I just want to play and not worry about the logistics of money and all that. I'm just glad it's done with, and I can take a deep breath."
Bjugstad, the 19th pick of the 2010 NHL Draft, is the centerpiece of an emerging core for the Panthers, who enter play Wednesday one point behind the New York Rangers for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"Nick, along with Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Erik Gudbranson and Jonathan Huberdeau are all part of our club's growing nucleus of young and talented players that will lead our team to future success," Tallon said.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.