The New Jersey Devils made a trade on Wednesday that will help the team both now and in the future. The team acquired forward Nick Bjugstad in exchange for forward Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional fourth-round pick (the lowest of three the Devils have in 2026). Importantly, the veteran Bjugstad only has a cap hit of $1.75 million and is under contract for next season.
Getting To Know The Newest Devil
Bjugstad is a towering 6-foot-6 presence. The 33-year-old veteran has played 14 NHL seasons for seven different clubs. He has 337 points in 795 games. Bjugstad had the best season of his lengthy career in 2023-24 with the then Arizona Coyotes. The 45 points (22 goals) he had that season was the best since his 2017-18 year. However, in 109 games since then, he only has 26 points (14 goals).
Specifically, this season with St. Louis Bjugstad has seven points (six goals) across 35 games while playing 11:38 a night. Bjugstad, a center, has won 51.1% of his face-offs and has thrown 73 hits.
His overall on-ice impacts over the last three seasons have been fine. In two of the last four seasons he has posted an expected goals-for percentage (xGF%) over 50.00. Over the last three seasons, his offensive impacts have been above average. Specifically, he has excelled at putting the puck in the net, which has helped these impacts overall. Bjugstad is shooting 11.1% this season and shot a career-best 13.3% in 2023-24 ad mist his 22-goal outburst.
Overall, Bjugstad is a solid bottom-line center who can bring some offensive punch, specifically, by putting the puck in the back of the net. He also enjoys throwing around his 6-foot-6 frame and typically fairs decently well on the dot as a center. An immense upgrade over what the Devils have been rolling with as their bottom-line center thus far this season.
The Package
To bring in Bjugstad the Devils parted with a mid-round draft pick and a “prospect” in forward Thomas Bordeleau.
The draft pick the Devils will give up is one of their three fourth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. New Jersey currently owns their own, Dallas’, and Winnipeg’s. The Blues will receive the lowest of the three.
As for Bordeleau, the Devils brought him in during the offseason from San Jose in exchange for forward Shane Bowers. The idea of Bordeleau has always been intriguing and that swap the Devils made with San Jose seemed to be a tidy work of business. However, the former second-round pick, who is now 24 years old, still was not able to breakout and take the next step. With Utica (AHL) this season, he only had eight points in 35 games.
Bordeleau, who had 18 points in 44 games with the Sharks, is running out of time to emerge as a consistent contributor at the NHL level. New Jersey took a low-risk flyer on him and it did not pay out thus far into 2025-26, so they promptly moved him for an established asset who will help the team this year and going forward.
Final Thoughts
Not a flashy piece of business by any means for general manager Tom Fitzgerald. However, Bjugstad will provide an immediate upgrade over the likes of Luke Glendening and Juho Lammikko this season and is under contract for next year as well at an extremely affordable $1.75 million price tag.
Bjugstad, the player, provides an occasional offensive punch, some grit with his hulking 6-foot-6 frame, and some strong work on the face-off dot. He should anchor the fourth-line center role for the duration of this season and next.
To acquire the veteran, the Devils did not have to part with much of anything. Bordeleau was a cheap low-risk investment prior to the season and was just not able to take the next step, and the Devils still have another fourth-round pick in the draft. A piece of business that addresses a current and future need by Fitzgerald and staff.