Ever since the Florida Panthers drafted him, Nick Bjugstad was known as the start to building the core that would lead the Cats to their first championship.
Once he was drafted by the Panthers 19th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft, the plan for Florida’s future was now in effect. This followed with other picks like Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Vincent Trocheck, and more.
This plan was simple for Panthers GM Dale Tallon: enter an eight-year rebuild and establish a core to build pieces around, a formula that helped him propel the Chicago Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup back in 2010 against the Philadelphia Flyers.