Former Utah Forward Included in Connor Hellebuyck Trade

Hopefully, former Utah forward Nick Bjugstad didn’t unpack all of his suitcases when he arrived in Newark for training camp this fall. He’s once again on the move.

Bjugstad has been traded by the New Jersey Devils to the Winnipeg Jets in the Connor Hellebuyck deal. Also going to the Jets with him are Alex Command, Nico Daws, Dawson Mercer, a 2029 second-round pick, and a 2027 seventh-round pick.

The forward played with the Utah Hockey Club during the 2024-25 season, playing 66 games and producing 19 points. He also played with the Arizona Coyotes in parts of the prior two seasons, playing 135 games and producing 68 points.

After his lone season in Salt Lake City, the Utah Mammoth opted not to bring him back, and he signed a two-year deal with the St. Louis Blues with an average annual value of $1.75 million. However, Bjugstad didn’t stay long in Missouri, only playing 35 games with the Blues before being shipped to the Devils last spring for Thomas Bordeleau and a fourth-round pick.

Bjugstad only played 26 games with the Devils last season. He has yet to play a game this season due to getting surgery on a torn left pectoral muscle in September. The forward has spent this year on long-term injured reserve and is expected to return at soonest January.

Once he plays for the Jets, Bjugstad will have played for 10 different NHL franchises, including the Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Blues, Devils, Coyotes, and Utah. That is getting to the point for challenging Mike Sillinger for the record of playing for the most amount of NHL teams. He played for 12 different teams.

During his time with Utah, Bjugstad loved his time with the club dearly. He mentioned the amount of bread and sweets his neighbors brought him and his family when he moved to the city, and how supportive the fans were during games, even when it was just small plays being made. One of his final press conferences with the team ended with a reflection on that year.

"I've been on a lot of different teams,” Bjugstad said. “Have seen different markets and different owners. This is the best I've been treated as a player, as a whole, and as a family."

The Mammoth will first play the Jets on November 23. However, the first game Bjugstad is likely to play as a member of the Jets will be on January 9 in Manitoba. Meanwhile, the Mammoth will face Hellebuyck and the Devils on December 29, the team’s last game before the Winter Classic.