Nick Bjugstad still feels like a work in progress.
A veteran of 362 NHL games, the Florida Panthers forward appears to have gotten his career back on the right track after posting a career-low 14 points during a 2016-17 campaign riddled with injuries. With a clean bill of health and an opportunity to shine on the top line, he set new career highs in both assists (30) and points (49) in an impressive return to form last season.
Bjugstad 'Not Satisfied,' Ready for Big Season with Panthers
"It was a jump from last year, I'll say that," Bjugstad told FloridaPanthers.com. "I feel like I grew as a player and the coaches allowed me to grow. I kind of re-identified myself after a tough year. It took a little bit. It wasn't all gravy right away.
"But as it went on, I felt a lot more confident and felt like I was helping the team out a lot more. I can take some good, good stuff from this season. There's still stuff I have to improve on. I'm 26 now, but I think I can continue to improve and take it to the next level."
The 19th overall pick 2010 -- the first draft under general manger Dale Tallon -- Bjugstad has weathered numerous ups and downs since coming into the league. He led the team in goals with 24 in 2014-15, but combined for just 22 over the next two seasons. But in navigating from the top-six to the bottom-six and back again, he also picked up a slew of invaluable lessons.
"I came in and it was just all adrenaline," Bjugstad said of his career. "I've always been a scorer for my teams growing up. There was some success early on there. There were some lulls and times where I really had to think about what made me good as a player. It's a constant thing that you have to be thinking about.
"When I had that season that wasn't the best for me two years ago, I think it was probably good for me because I had never really experienced something like that. It really made me take a step back and think about what makes me a good player and figure out how I could consistently do this. It's tough, but it made me learn a lot about myself and the game of hockey in general."
A key reason for Bjugstad's bumps in the road revolves around a series of unfortunate injuries, most notably a nagging back problem -- a side effect of his 6-foot-6 frame -- that led to surgery in 2015. After that rude awakening, as Bjugstad calls it, he really started to rethink his approach to training, putting an added emphasis on stretching, massages and overall maintenance.
The result? He suited up in every single game last season the first time in his career.
"It's no fun sitting out games," Bjugstad said. "I've learned a lot over the last five years about taking care of my body. It's gradually becoming more common theme of maintaining, working on different things to make sure your body can endure that stress."
In preparation for the upcoming season, Bjugstad said he's doing much of the same things that helped spark his breakout campaign last year. He's continuing to make "little tweaks" to his new workouts and is once again competing in Da Beauty League in his native Minnesota.
A no-hit, 4-on-4 hockey league made up of NHL players and top amateurs, Bjugstad said that even though Da Beauty League games aren't running at full speed, the weekly matchups offer up a chance to work on stops, starts and "all of the little stuff that goes on during an NHL game."
In five summer-league games, Bjugstad has already tallied seven goals and 12 points.
"I just try to focus on things that relate to the actual NHL season," he said.
A natural center for the majority of his career, Bjugstad has also been working with a skating coach to continue adapting to his new life as a winger - a transition he completed last season.
"We've been working on generating speed in the defensive zone and a lot of timing stuff," Bjugstad said. "It's obviously an adjustment, but this past year the coaching staff really allowed me to learn that position. With our style of play, I think it was a lot easier to play on the wing."
If he is given similar opportunities next season, there's no reason to think that Bjugstad won't be able to put up big numbers again. After ranking second on Florida in both goals (18) and third in points (41) at 5-on-5 last season, his next step will be making similar strides on special teams.
"I wouldn't say that I'm totally satisfied," Bjugstad said. "Obviously I had a decent season last year, but I want to keep improving and try to be the best teammate that I can be."
