Development camp analysis: Studnicka, Lauko stand out in prospect scrimmage

Jack Studnicka showed his skill as a playmaker Friday when he plucked the puck from a fellow Bruins prospect and set up Tommy Marchin for a goal during the scrimmage that concluded development camp Friday at Warrior Ice Arena.

The play capped a good week for Studnicka, who’s coming off a breakout season with the Oshawa Generals, and voiced his desire to compete for a roster spot, despite the fact he’s only 19 years old.

Studnicka is one of the Bruins top center prospects. Others such as Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Trent Frederic did not attend the annual camp this season, and Studnicka capitalized on the opportunity to show his strengths.

“I do believe Jack stuck out at the end during camp,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said Friday.



“He needs to get stronger. His comments said he’s looking forward to the opportunity to come in and compete and that's what we’re talking about. Kids feel like they have an opportunity and if they perform, and the results are there, then they’ll get to stay. Otherwise, they gotta work on things. I cautioned them they have definitive things to work on and are not finished products. They have to realize they’re a long ways away.”

At 6-foot-1, 172 pounds, Studnicka needs to add weight to his frame. He can do that over the next couple months and will have a chance to compete for a roster spot on the bottom-six of the rotation come September. Forsbacka Karlsson, who spent all of last season in Providence, is likely closer because of the full experience from the AHL.

Studnicka, though, does not seem far behind. If Studnicka does not make the team, he is not eligible to play in Providence until he is 20 and will likely return to Oshawa.

Here are some other observations from development camp, starting with this year’s crop of draft picks.

Jakub Lauko, center: The speedy forward drafted No. 77 overall showed off his skating ability as his greatest strength. Twice this week he was able to get behind the defense, and did so by scoring on a nifty breakaway during the Friday scrimmage. It’s worth noting that Lauko believes he can skate faster than he showed this week, given the fact that players are in the offseason and their conditioning is not where it normally is in season. “If I improve my edge work, stop-and-go, go full speed, I’ll keep working on the skating,” Lauko said. “It’s my greatest strength.”

Axel Andersson, defenseman: Andersson was drafted No. 57 overall and is likely a few years away from the NHL. Sweeney said it’s likely the smooth-skating defenseman will return to Sweden, where he played for Djurgardens IF of the SuperElit league, rather than the AHL. “I feel fortunate to be here,” Andersson said. “I’m just learning on and off the ice [about the Bruins].” Andersson was also selected by the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL but Sweeney indicated Sweden is where he will go.  

Curtis Hall, center: At 6-3, 196 pounds, Hall is a big-bodied prospect who has a heavy shot to match. He showed it off Friday with a nifty goal from an odd angle, and he’ll be bringing his talents to Yale next season. Hall, who’s easy to spot with his long, flowing hair, is looking to make an impact for the Bulldogs in his freshman season. “Big-strong kid. I like his versatility. Not gonna cheer for the school he’s going to but I’ll cheer for the player,” joked Sweeney, who went to Harvard.

Dustyn McFaul, defenseman: The Bruins took a chance with their sixth-round pick on McFaul, a project-type selection who is likely four or five years away from the NHL. He has the typical build of the sleeker, modern-day NHL defenseman and excels in his transition game.

Pavel Shen, center: The Russian center was in the background quite a bit during development camp but popped into the picture Friday with a goal in the scrimmage. The seventh-round draft pick is likely heading back to Russia next season.

Urho Vaakanainen, defenseman: The Bruins first-round pick from the 2017 draft is likely starting the year in Providence, but training camp will be a prime opportunity for him to make a legitimate push toward cracking the big-league club. He has a steady presence on the ice and is calm with the puck, a result of him playing with older players in Finland.

Tom Marchin, forward: Marchin, who has been to three development camps in his career, stood out as the best invited player to attend Bruins camp. He was able to show his skill in his fourth turn at a development camp and scored two goals in the Friday scrimmage. He’s heading back to Brown University for his senior season, but said he’s keeping his options open. Perhaps he showed enough this week to warrant a look at training camp in September.

Dan Vladar, goaltender: The first thing to notice about Vladar is his size and the way the 6-foot-5 goalie plugs the net. He doesn’t have to move much to cover the posts and keeps himself positioned nicely to defend the top of the net. After a year in the ECHL he’ll start the year in Providence, but I could see him as a dark horse to snag the Bruins' backup job.

Martin Bakos, forward: Bakos projects to be a player who’ll be back-and-forth at various times between the Bruins and Providence. At 28, he was significantly older than most of his teammates at development camp, but he used the week as an opportunity to get a jump start on training camp and his transition to the North American-style of hockey.

Jeremy Swayman, goaltender: Swayman had a stellar first year at Maine and snagged the job as a freshman, but he still has a way to go before he thrusts himself onto the Bruins radar. Director of development Jamie Langenbrunner did say that Swayman caught their attention when he exceeded expectations in his freshman year, but he struggled Friday and let three consecutive goals in.

Oskar Steen, forward: Steen was incredibly active around the puck during the week, whether it be during the scrimmage or in the various drills players participated in. He seems to have made steady progress since the Bruins drafted him in the sixth round in 2016, but is likely heading back to the Swedish Hockey League for another season at the international level.

Olivier Galipeau, defenseman: Galipeau created a buzz this week after he spurned the Canadiens for the rival Bruins. The reason, though, was simple. The Canadiens did not offer a contract but wanted him at camp. The Bruins committed with a one-way AHL deal, so Galipeau took them up on it. “I had a sure deal and the Bruins wanted to work with me,” Galipeau said.

Teemu Kivilhame, defenseman: Kivilhame is almost two years removed from his time at Colorado College after withdrawing in 2016 to play in Finland. That made him one of the more intriguing camp invites this week. “Looks to be a very skilled, skilled guy,” Langenbrunner said. “Smooth skater that’s turning a few heads out here the way he’s able to handle the puck.”

Karson Kuhlman, forward: The Bruins signed Kuhlman to a two-year contract in April and joined Providence at the end of the season. He was a four-year standout at Minnesota-Duluth and helped them to a national championship. That caught the eye of Langenbrunner, who’s from the Minnesota area. “He’s a kid that plays a pro-style game in the way he positions himself, uses his body, gets pucks out on walls,” Langenbrunner said. “He’s a winner. Character kid, when I asked him to come to Development Camp he said, ‘Absolutely.’ He wanted to be here. That’s what you want on your team and he’s going to push guys to be better.”