Panthers' Bjugstad recovering well from season-ending back surgery

Things are on the up and up for Nick Bjugstad.

The Florida Panthers forward is moving in a positive direction after back surgery cut his 2014-15 season short.

"Basically, I’m feeling 100 percent. I don’t feel any tingling or soreness in my back," Bjugstad told the Panthers official website.

"They just have to remind me all the time that you can’t rush it, you can’t overdo it right now."

Bjugstad, 22, turned heads in his second full season in the big leagues, scoring 24 goals and adding 19 assists.

"It was a good mix of everything. Experience, confidence with myself, a big part of playing in the NHL, at least for myself is believing that you should be there, telling yourself that you belong out there, getting comfortable," Bjugstad said.

"That was the main difference for me. Obviously a big help from the older guys, the team was a whole different dynamic, as far as leadership. Who we had playing, we had a lot of winners, Stanley Cup winners on the team. It changed the whole morale and attitude of the team. It was good learning a lot from those older guys, they’re all really good with the younger guys. It did nothing but help me this year."

The former first-round pick in the 2010 draft is part of an impressive young core in Florida that also includes: Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad and Jonathan Huberdeau.