The Bruins have quite arguably the most talented roster in the NHL. Theres a chance that a good chunk of talent could be added to that roster next season. From one guy. From within the organization.
Whats the big idea?
Jack Studnicka is a 20 year old center in the Boston Bruins organization. Hes a physically gifted goal scorer that the Bruins have lacked over recent years. Hands and speed are two words that sum up the game of Studnicka, and he has the stats to back that up. For the 2018-2019 season Studnicka played a total of 60 games in the OHL. 30 games for the Oshawa Generals and 30 games for the Niagara Ice Hogs. A captain for the Generals, he put up 12 goals and 22 assists, totaling 34 points in 30 games. As an assistant captain for the Niagara Ice Dogs he tallied 49 points in 30 games, including 24 goals and 25 assists.
Studnicka is more of a traditional goal scorer than the Bruins roster is used to. For instance, David Pastrnak is the first player that comes to mind when I try to think of a comparison to a current Bruins player. An elite scorer with a little bit of a physical game. However, if Studnicka is doing his thing, he’s scoring goals. Being more of a goal scorer, he doesn’t exactly fit the Bruins traditional third or fourth line guy. The Bruins tend to lean towards bigger, more physical players on the third and fourth lines, while the more skilled guys lead the first and second line. In other words, there might be a little bit of a learning curve in order for Studnicka to fit in.
Will he make the jump?
Jack Studnicka is a natural center. The depth of the Bruins current roster will be Studnicka’s only hurdle from making the team out of camp. With Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Charlie Coyle, and Sean Kuraly, and newly signed Par Lindholm, the center of the ice is a busy place for the Bruins and is by no means a position of need.
The Bruins have never been shy of shifting guys around. Weighing in at 6’1 and 185 lbs, Studnicka doesn’t have many restrictions to stop him from playing any forward roll. With no lineup restrictions, he brings the value of being able to be plugged in anywhere in the lineup.
The style of Studnicka’s game also helps his case to make a run at the roster next season. He’s fast enough to keep up with any pace that the game requires. He can also slow the game down to the pace necessary for him to put the puck in the net. Perhaps Studnicka could play a part in the right wing depth issue for the Bruins that I also talked about here. Don Sweeney has said in interviews that he would be open to the idea of Studnicka playing on the wing. As stated before, Studnicka is a natural center, but Studnicka himself is also open to the roll of a winger.
Time will tell
Jack Studnicka definitely has the talent to play in the NHL. The depth of the Bruins center position will be Studnicka’s biggest hurdle. Injuries are inevitable, and perhaps that’ll be the opportunity that Studnicka needs to prove that he’s worthy of the NHL. Regardless, its only a matter of time before Jack Studnicka is making an impact at the NHL level for the Boston Bruins.
