Bjugstad sidekick

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Bjugstad underwent successful spinal surgery, it was announced today by general manager and executive vice president Jim Rutherford.

Bjugstad, 27, had spinal surgery on Tuesday for a herniated disc. The surgery was performed by Dr. Bradford Currier of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

The forward is expected to be sidelined for a minimum of eight weeks.