Coming out of training camp last month, Boston Bruins prospect Jack Studnicka made the opening roster, mainly in large part because first-line right wing David Pastrnak was still recovering from hip surgery.
In six games this season, Studnicka has one goal and has a plus/minus of minus-2. He began on the first line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand in the first game against the New Jersey Devils, but he struggled. After being bumped down to the middle-six, he never got into any flow before missing the Bruins’ recent four-game road trip through Washington and Philadelphia with an injury.
On Wednesday, Studnicka practiced with the Providence Bruins and you have to wonder how long the 21-year-old might find himself with the P-Bruins now that Jake DeBrusk is returning to the Boston lineup tonight against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Jack Studnicka practicing with Providence today
— Mark Divver (@MarkDivver) February 10, 2021
If this is any indication, this is a move that might be best for Studnicka and the Bruins at this time.
Bruins Studnicka needs to play and that place to get time might be in Providence.
In his eight regular-season games with Boston in his short career and in the playoffs last summer at the Toronto bubble, Studnicka was used as a right wing. A natural center, his NHL career with the Bruins will down the middle, not on a wing.
In his short sample size this season, he has been ok, but simply put, not good enough. He did break the Bruins 11 periods of frustration of not scoring a 5-on-5 goal with a third-period goal on Jan. 21 at the TD Garden against the Philadelphia Flyers, which jumped started a 5-4 come-from-behind victory in a shootout in the teams home opener.
Getting regular shifts in the American Hockey League might be just what Studnicka needs. The Bruins have bottom-six forwards like Anders Bjork, Trent Frederic, Sean Kuraly, and Chris Wagner that can give the Black and Gold what they need with their physical play doing a lot of the dirty work.
There’s no doubt that the future is bright for Studnicka, the Bruins 53rd pick in the second round of the 2017 Entry Draft. However, with Boston getting healthy upfront, his best place right now is with Providence and playing regular shifts.
The P-Bruins return to action tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. against the Hartford Wolf Pack in their second game of the season at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Providence beat the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 4-1, in their season opener last Friday.