The NHL trade deadline has come and passed — and with it came the final chance for many Cup contenders to seek outside help before beginning their campaign toward hockey’s ultimate prize.
While deals can still be struck, Monday’s 3 p.m. deadline served as the cut-off point for playing eligibility for the postseason. Once the deadline passes, the only way a team can add a player to their roster and have them eligible for the playoffs is if that player is already on the team’s reserve list.
So, unfortunately, the daydreaming scenarios like Joe Thornton hitting waivers and jumping aboard a Cup run are just that — fiction.
Still, for all the potential roster gridlock, there are other ways for an NHL club to load up ahead of the postseason.
One of the top changes following the deadline is that the 23-man roster limit is thrown out. A team can have as many players as needed on their NHL roster, just as long as they fit into the salary cap. In addition, a team is granted four regular recalls from the AHL — with the playoffs and the arrival of the Black Aces opening the door for additional call-ups down the line.
As such, don’t be surprised if the Bruins look to Providence in case they need to shore up any holes on the roster down the stretch.
“Yes, 100 percent,” Don Sweeney said of the chances Boston will call up a player from Providence. “We feel that some guys that have earned that opportunity to be a part of this mix and what injection they can have and what impact they can have, I do believe will get some determination between now and the end of the year.”
Here’s a look at a couple of names down in Boston’s prospect pipeline that could make their presence felt down the stretch:
Jack Studnicka
The Bruins have generally been hesitant to bring up their top prospect this season, especially if a recall would keep the 21-year-old away from his position of strength at center.
The dynamic forward only appeared in two games with Boston earlier this season, but drew praise for his compete level and willingness to operate in Grade-A areas of the ice. During Studnicka’s 22:10 of 5v5 ice time up in the NHL ranks, Boston generated a 9-1 edge in high-danger scoring chances.
The B’s second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft hasn’t slowed down since returning to Providence, as Studnicka leads Providence with 44 points (21 goals, 23 assists) over 55 games — good for third-most among AHL rookies.
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Studnicka has the speed and hands to be an offensive force with further development, while his AHL-leading seven shorthanded tallies hint at the potential he might have as a special-teams ace. Still, it would seem as though Studnicka’s spot up with the big club is far from guaranteed this season — given the current pipeline down the middle with Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Charlie Coyle and Sean Kuraly all still in place.
Still, for as much as Sweeney and the rest of Boston’s upper management have stressed the need for Studnicka to remain at the pivot, Sweeney did note on Monday that if the need is there — Studnicka could earn another look on the wing.
“I think Jack would tell you he’s open to playing the wing, so we would have to be,” Sweeney said. “There’s some nuances associated with that that he might not fully know right now. He’s more than capable of playing both positions, we just think he’s a hell of a prospect at this point in time with a great future as a Boston Bruin and when and if he gets up here now or next year or when that is, I think he’s going to be a good hockey player for us.”
In a perfect world, the Bruins won’t need to call up Studnicka this season, as the additions of Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie should help get the gears turning on a middle-six forward corps that has struggled at times with generating — and especially finishing — scoring chances during 5v5 play.
But if the results continue to fall short of expectations — or Boston separates itself from the pack in Atlantic Division— don’t be surprised if an offensively-gifted youngster like Studnicka gets another look.
Trent Frederic
The arrival of Studnicka could be a move Boston plays in order to generate more scoring pop in the middle-six, but calling up Frederic might be the most likely roster tweak the Bruins make — given that the 22-year-old power forward could address a potential area of need for this club.
In a perfect world, the Bruins shouldn’t have to fret too much about scoring contributions from the middle-six with both Kase and Ritchie in tow. But when it comes to injecting some serious snarl into the fourth line, there may not be a better option than Frederic.
It remains to be seen just where a player like Frederic projects up in the NHL ranks. He’s taken steps this season to round out his game in the AHL, especially when it comes to using his size (6-foot-2, 214 pounds) to his advantage with extending O-zone possessions and generating offense. Currently, Frederic ranks sixth on the P-Bruins with 30 points (seven goals, 23 assists) over 54 games.
But that offense hasn't manifested up in the NHL ranks, with the forward failing to get on the scoresheet in 17 career games with Boston. Not ideal, but Frederic's usage last season was primarily on a rudderless third line before Charlie Coyle took over, with Frederic often logging minimal minutes while skating alongside the likes of David Backes (80 minutes of 5v5 TOI together) and Danton Heinen (45 minutes).
If Frederic is recalled this year, he might be tasked with a more simplified role of rounding out a B's fourth line that has struggled with consistency all season. While both Sean Kuraly and Chris Wagner have been constants on Boston's checking line, the final spot in that grouping has rotated between the likes of Par Lindholm, Joakim Nordstrom and others.
But if Boston is in search of new blood on that line, giving Frederic a trial run makes plenty of sense. As Frederic showcased last season when he beat the bag out of Brandon Tanev in his NHL debut, Frederic would bring plenty of brawn to Boston's lineup — as the forward has established himself as one of the top bruisers in the AHL with a league-high 141 penalty minutes.
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When it comes to standout performers down in the AHL ranks, Bruce Cassidy noted last week that it's getting tough to ignore the kind of unique package that a power forward like Frederic brings whenever he hops over the boards.
"It’s a little bit of 'Let’s see who we got now, find where they fit in'. Could be instant, could take time. And then, 'Is there someone down in Providence that now we can mix in as well?'. I’ve talked about Jack and Freddy, because I’m kind of repeating what I hear about who’s having good years and have been up," Cassidy said of the potential plan as far as call-ups go. "Sometimes that second or third call, they can figure it out a little bit better what’s expected and what they can do, a little more comfort in the room. I would say that’s the natural order, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself."
Boston added much more size up front with the arrival of Ritchie last week, but if the B's want to shake up that fourth line ahead of the playoff push, don't be surprised if Frederic gets another look. He may not be expected to drive a line, but gifting a heat-seeking missile like him with 11-13 minutes on a fourth line and asking him to play a simple, north-south game could make his adjustment up at the next level all the more easier.
Zach Senyshyn
Senyshyn's numbers may not jump out down in Providence (five goals, seven assists in 37 games), but the speedy winger impressed during his short stint up in Boston earlier this season, especially when slotted up with Coyle. In just 16:22 of 5v5 ice time, Boston outscored the competition, 2-0, and held an 11-5 edge in shots on goal when Coyle and Senyshyn skated together. Much like Studnicka, it would seem like the Bruins have other middle-six options on the wing (Ritchie, Kase) to turn to before turning to the AHL. But if Boston does build itself a sizable advantage over Tampa in the Atlantic, don't be surprised if a player like Senyshyn gets another look as Cassidy tries to sit some regulars. Other Providence forwards to keep tabs on include Peter Cehlarik, Paul Carey, Brendan Gaunce and Robert Lantosi — a rookie forward who is up to 31 points in 48 games with Providence. Lantosi signed an AHL contract this past season after a pair of impressive campaigns with HK Nitra in Slovakia.
Urho Vaakanainen
Barring on how much turnover is in store for the Bruins' D corps this summer (Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug are pending UFAs), Vaakanainen could very well be in line for a regular role with Boston as early as next season. But this season, it would seem as though Vaakanainen and other promising Providence blue liners are going to be on the outside looking in at roles. Even if a player like Jeremy Lauzon was to go down due to injury, both John Moore and Connor Clifton are the easy picks as far as replacements go, while Kevan Miller still hasn't been ruled out for this season, even if he still faces a major uphill battle in that regard. Add in a veteran like Steven Kampfer waiting for another shot down in the AHL ranks, and it seems unlikely that Boston will look to inject some additional youth into its blue line over the next couple of weeks.
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- Less than a week after EBUG David Ayres took the hockey world by storm, the NHL has another remarkable story in Ottawa winger Bobby Ryan.
- Bad news for the Lightning (and good news for the rest of the Eastern Conference), as Steven Stamkos is going to miss 6-8 weeks due to core muscle surgery. Boston plays Tampa twice this week — starting with Tuesday night down in Florida.
