The Florida Panthers, currently on an eight-game winning streak and sitting atop the Atlantic Division with two games in hand over the second place Montreal Canadiens, have activated forward Nick Bjugstad from injured reserve.
He has been out of the lineup with an upper-body injury, missing the team’s entire winning streak, last playing on November 29. He was injured in a practice in St. Louis following the road game against the Detroit Red Wings on the 29th.
Bjugstad will rejoin the lineup on Sunday when the team takes on Bjugstad’s hometown Minnesota Wild.
Bjugstad has played 23 games this season, scoring seven goals and 12 assists. Getting the 23-year-old center back is a huge boost for a team that is already having a lot of success, rising to the top of a division that is up for grabs because teams in the division have been incredibly streaky.