After logging just 18 seconds of ice time with Charlie Coyle and Taylor Hall during Boston’s 4-3 win over the Sharks on Sunday, Jack Studnicka is going to be handed a bit of a longer leash on Wednesday against the Panthers.
With injuries in the middle-six unit prompting Bruce Cassidy to slot Coyle over to the wing for the time being, it will be Studnicka that gets the call in the middle of Boston’s second line — with the 22-year-old pivot looking to build off of a strong preseason and showcase the potential that Boston is hoping to tap into as it braces for the post-Bergeron era.
“Super excited,” Studnicka told reporters in Florida on Wednesday morning. “(The Panthers) are obviously off to a good start over there. So it's going to be a good test for us. And I can't wait to be a part of it. Like you said, playing with two veteran wingers and they know how to produce in this league. So hopefully (I'll) be solid defensively for them. And hopefully things go well.”
Wednesday’s assignment should be a refreshing change of pace for the B’s 2017 second-round pick — with Studnicka slotted down as Boston’s fourth-line pivot during his season debut on Sunday.
Studnicka’s assignment on Boston’s checking unit might have been more of a reflection on Tomas Nosek’s promising performance at 2C during Boston’s win over Buffalo on Friday, but Studnicka wasn't given much of an opportunity to showcase his strengths over limited minutes against San Jose.
Even though Studnicka’s two-way game has significantly improved over the years, his playmaking talents were stunted given his defensive role on the fourth line — with just 20 percent of his faceoffs at 5v5 play coming in the offensive zone on Sunday.
A steady dose of D-zone starts likely won’t be on the horizon Wednesday down in Florida. Even though Cassidy believes the onus should still be on a pair of puck-dominant forwards in Hall and Coyle to drive play, Studnicka should be able to complement that unit due to his wheels and a shot-first mentality that he has continued to cultivate over the years.
"He just has to play his game,” Cassidy said of Studnicka. “He's a guy that was driving some offense through the preseason by shooting the puck and playing a north-south game, not slowing the game down at all, just playing at a higher tempo and keeping it simpler. Both his wingers can really move, so he's gonna have to have his legs under him. And hopefully, he picks the right time to distribute the puck or shoot it, right?
It's an offensive pair of wings he's got with him that could complement him as well. So it's not just about what he's going to do for that line — you'd want Coyle and Hall to be the drivers of the line. They've been in the league longer than Jack and Jack has to make sure he does his part as a centerman in our end and away from the puck.”
Once players like Craig Smith and Nick Foligno do return from injury, Cassidy has already stated his desire to move Coyle back to the center spot — his preferred position on Boston’s depth chart.
As such, Studnicka’s stint in the top six may not be set in stone. Much like the preseason, the B’s prospect is dealing with a few factors outside of his control when it comes to securing a set spot in the B's lineup.
But Studnicka can certainly change a lot of that sentiment by stuffing the stat sheet over the next few games. And given the quality of opponents facing Boston over the next few days, the Bruins will welcome any and all production out of that second line.
"I would say, maybe a year or two ago, I was someone who would defer,” Studnicka said of playing next to Coyle and Hall. “But I think I've grown as a player to where I'm confident to just go in there and play my game. They're really good players, so they'll be able to read off that. Maybe a while ago, that was an issue, but I think now, I'm ready to just play my game and see how it goes."