Arizona Coyotes scratch Nick Bjugstad for ‘trade-related reasons’

The Arizona Coyotes have scratched center Nick Bjugstad for Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks for “trade-related reasons,” the club announced via its public relations Twitter account.

Bjugstad, 30, has 13 goals and 23 points in 59 games with the Coyotes this year. The six-foot-six, 209-pound forward is under contract at a $900,000 cap hit through the end of the 2022–23 season, at which point he’ll be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent.

In a corresponding move, the Coyotes recalled forward Laurent Dauphin from the American Hockey League’s Tucson Roadrunners on Tuesday evening. Bjugstad joins Coyotes teammate Jakob Chychrun on the list of players around the league scratched for trade-related reasons.

The Florida Panthers originally selected Bjugstad in the first round (No. 19 overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. The Minneapolis product made his NHL debut with the Panthers late in 2012–13 and ultimately spent parts of seven seasons with the club before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019.

Bjugstad missed most of the 2019–20 season with an injury before being traded to the Minnesota Wild, his home team, on the eve of the 2020–21 campaign. He spent two full seasons rebuilding his game with the Wild before signing a one-year deal with the Coyotes last summer.

The Coyotes waded into the trade deadline proceedings on Tuesday afternoon, agreeing to retain salary to facilitate Patrick Kane’s move from Chicago to the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. Beyond Bjugstad and Chychrun, the Coyotes also have Shayne Gostisbehere, Nick Schmaltz, Lawson Crouse, Nick Ritchie, and Karel Vejmelka potentially on the market.

Without Bjugstad and Chychrun, the Coyotes currently lead Chicago by a 2–0 score after one period at Mullett Arena. The Coyotes have one more game after that one before the Mar. 3 trade deadline: they’ll visit the Dallas Stars on Wednesday evening.