Overview
- The Devils announced Sept. 17 that Bjugstad had successful surgery to repair a torn left pectoral and will be sidelined for four to six months.
- Defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic will be a limited participant at training camp while he recovers from a minor off-season right-knee procedure, and the team gave no firm timetable for his full return.
- Bjugstad’s absence opens the fourth-line center spot for competition from Jesper Boqvist, Evan Rodrigues, Dawson Mercer, Cody Glass, or an AHL call-up such as Colin White or Amadeus Lombardi.
- Preseason begins Sept. 20 and the Devils open the regular season at home on Oct. 1, giving the club a narrow window to finalize replacements and line deployments.
- New Jersey acquired Bjugstad from St. Louis in February and he enters the season with limited recent offense plus upcoming unrestricted free agency, so his rehab timing will affect his role and roster planning this year.