The New Jersey Devils have reinforced their center depth, acquiring veteran forward Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a mid-round pick and AHL forward Thomas Bordeleau.
The trade comes just in the last half hour before the NHL roster freeze for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Trade details:
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 4, 2026
To #njdevils:
C Nick Bjugstad
To #stlblues:
Cond. 2026 4th Rd Pick
F Thomas Bordeleau
Condition: Later of DAL or WPG 4th
Bjugstad has tallied six goals and seven points in 35 games this season with St. Louis. The 6-foot-6 centre is under contract through the 2026-27 season with an affordable $1.75 million cap hit. Bjugstad has won 51.1% of his faceoffs this season and has been a primary penalty killer for St. Louis.
A former first-round pick (19th overall in 2010), Bjugstad’s career has taken him through several NHL markets. New Jersey becomes the eighth stop for the Minnesota native who has suited up for the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers and Utah Mammoth. Throughout his career, Bjugstad has tallied 163 goals and 174 assists for 337 points in 795 games.
Bordeleau, meanwhile, has tallied eight points in 35 games with the Devils' AHL affilaite the Utica Comets. He will report directly to the Blues' AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. He remains on a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 and will be a restricted free agent.
After being traded to the Devils last summer, Bordeleau failed to crack a deep New Jersey roster and has spent the campaign in the AHL. Through 59 AHL games last season with the San Jose Barracuda, he recorded 38 points.