Bruins Camp Report: Amid looming waivers and 'last chance' narratives, Jack Studnicka sees opportunity on the fourth line

Jim Montgomery was candid in his conversation with Jack Studnicka on Monday afternoon.

He might still be in the early stages of his pro career, but Studnicka is cognizant of the fact that time isn’t exactly on his side right now … at least, as it pertains to his Bruins career.

While Studnicka has yet to stick so far at the NHL level despite earning reps over the past three seasons, that non-linear career progression had been buoyed by the fact that the Bruins could freely shift the forward between Boston and Providence whenever he would hit a bump in the road with his development.

But now, at 23 years old, Studnicka is no longer waivers exempt — and if Boston ultimately rules that the former 2017 second-round pick isn’t a viable starting candidate come October, he could be plucked up by another team before even stepping foot back in Providence.

As such, the pressure is on for Studnicka to make a strong case for more minutes during preseason action — and after a sleepy debut against Philadelphia last Saturday, Montgomery made sure to remind the B’s former top prospect of the stakes involved as the calendar flips to October. 

“We had a conversation like he mentioned and I took it to heart,” Studnicka said on Tuesday. “I agreed with him. I didn't show my best in Philadelphia. So we can only make one first impression. So kind of made sure my second impression was good.”

Studnicka’s strengths have been well-documented at this point, with his shiftiness and soft touch around Grade-A ice making him a player who once was projected to be a middle-six regular down the middle for this team in due time.

But with Boston’s pipeline down the middle set (at least for this season) with Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Charlie Coyle in place, Studnicka’s lone avenue for regular minutes (barring a switch to wing) is at the helm of a fourth line that has still yet to be set.

Given his aforementioned style of play, Studnicka doesn’t exactly fit the mold of a fourth-line grinder — especially when compared to other 4Cs who have donned B’s sweaters in years past like Sean Kuraly, Noel Acciari, Gregory Campbell and others. 

But in Montgomery’s eyes, what makes a fourth-line cog is not how many scraps they start, or necessarily how many times they light the lamp. Rather, it’s all about how much energy they can provide their team.

And on Tuesday night against the Rangers, Studnicka sure looked like a sparkplug for a Bruins team looking for one more defined starter down the middle.

A.J. Greer might have earned most of the headlines from Tuesday’s victory over the Rangers, but his linemate in Studnicka was every bit as impressive — recording the primary helper on both of Greer’s tallies while routinely causing havoc on the forecheck.

"I just liked the way he responded,” Montgomery said of Studnicka. “I talked to him yesterday about the opportunity to respond from Game One where I thought he didn't play to the levels that he expects or that we expect of him. And tonight he did. And  it was nice to see him get rewarded with some offensive production.”

Some of the hallmarks of Studnicka’s game, be it his ability to close in on puck carriers or drive through the center of the ice, were present against the Blueshirts. But that added willingness to engage down low and create hurried decisions for opposing puck-carriers allowed for the type of miscues that fourth-line groupings usually feast on.

"Yeah, that's what a fourth line does — they create energy for the rest of your team," Studnicka said. "So I'm just trying to show that, trying to be physical. I've learned it's pretty hard to get a hit on the score sheet. I'm trying. But it's pretty hard to get them in this league. But yeah, trying to throw my weight around as much as I can, be on top of pucks and be on time and create energy.”

Tuesday stood as a step in the right direction for Studnicka, but he’s not close to being out of the woods when it comes to securing a starting role in Boston. Even though his offensive ceiling and skill might be a bit higher than a “traditional” 4C, Studnicka still faces competition from veterans in Tomas Nosek and Nick Foligno, a noted agitator in Trent Frederic and a fellow youngster in Johnny Beecher.

Etching Studnicka into the 4C spot come Oct. 12 might be an unconventional look when it comes to augmenting the personnel on your checking unit, but it’s clear that Montgomery and his staff are looking for the best players available to build a line, rather than try to whittle it down to the three players who fit in a preconceived “identity”.

As unlikely as it seemed just a few months ago, Studnicka sees opportunity in that fourth-line vacancy. It’s the right goal to set, considering that his contingency plan likely involves switching sweaters in the coming months. 

“It's something I'm definitely aware of, I'm not gonna lie to you,” Studnicka said of his waiver status. “Everyone's aware of things like that. But just trying not to dwell on what ifs and just show up every day and hopefully things go well.. … I'm not gonna call it a last chance type of thing. But with waivers, you're playing to play for the Boston Bruins, and you're playing for other teams, obviously. Since I was a kid, I wanted to play for the Bruins. So that's what I want to do. Just trying to see how it goes."

CAMP REPORT  

BRUINS LINES 

GROUP A

Zacha-Bergeron-DeBrusk
Hall-Krejci-Pastrnak
Wagner-Nosek-Lysell
Foligno-Beecher-Lettieri

Forbort-Zboril
Wolff-Clifton
Ahcan-Berglund
Renouf-Didier 

Ullmark
Kinkaid 

GROUP B 

Greer-Coyle-Smith
Frederic-Studnicka-McLaughlin
Lauko-Merkulov-Steen
Toporowski-Koppanen-Brazeau
Asselin

Lindholm-Stralman
Reilly-Carlo
Wissman-Wilson
Callahan

Swayman
Bussi

TALKING POINTS

Chris Wagner isn’t giving up his shot of starting spot in B’s lineup

While plenty of the discourse surrounding the B’s camp battle for fourth-line minutes has usually revolved around names like Studnicka, Foligno, Nosek, Greer and a slew of younger players — Montgomery isn’t exactly ruling out an established vet like Chris Wagner, either. 

"I've always noticed Wags, even when he was in Anaheim, and then, obviously the success he had here in Boston,” Montgomery said. “His details are high-end. He's someone as a coach that you trust, because he executes really well, especially in that fourth-line role."

Wagner said that his discussions over the summer with Montgomery focused on the “clean slate” that a new season provides, with the Walpole native looking to put a 2021-22 campaign in the rearview mirror as soon as possible.

It was a trying year for Wagner, who logged 62 games with the Providence Bruins after getting sent down to the AHL ranks after losing his 4RW spot up in Boston to Curtis Lazar last season. 

Wagner was a good soldier and a dependable veteran presence on Ryan Mougenel’s team, but the 31-year-old forward isn’t resigned to a fate in which his final contract year in Boston will primarily be spent down in Providence. 

“I still think I can play in this league. But time will tell. … I tried to get faster this summer and test well, which I did. Other than that, just focus on the day-to-day and worry about myself more than anything. Stuff I can control — because worrying about stuff I can't — you won't sleep well at night.”

Of course, the competition is even more daunting this season for Wagner, especially with younger right wings like Marc McLaughlin and Oskar Steen also added to the mix.

If Wagner is looking for a spark of motivation, he can draw from his short stint back up in the NHL last year — be it in his one regular-season contest against the Leafs on 4/29 (11 hits in 15:57 of ice time) or his three games against Carolina during the playoffs. 

Given his willingness to throw his weight around and the energy he provides, Wagner still has the skillset to justify consistent reps on some NHL club’s fourth line. 

It just remains to be seen if it will be Boston. And if the 2022-23 season features another trek down to Providence? 

“Could I handle it? Opposed to what? It’s my job to show up,” Wagner said.

Strong returns for Lindholm-Stralman pairing

Montgomery may not be ready to definitively scribble some names into the depth chart with permanent ink – not with two more weeks to go until the regular season commences.

But as far as early impressions are concerned, Montgomery was encouraged with what he saw from a top D pairing of Hampus Lindholm and Anton Stralman on Tuesday night.

The Bruins already know what they have in a player like Lindholm, who logged 22:29 of ice time, was a plus-two and was assertive and confident with the puck in transition en route to Tuesday's win.

What was still to be determined was just how Stralman was going to fare in his first game in a Bruins sweater, especially given the fact that he’d had all of three practices under his belt before taking to the ice against New York.

A 36-year-old veteran like Stralman doesn’t necessarily have a whole lot of tricks up his sleeve at this stage of his career. He wasn’t flashy against the Blueshirts, but Stralman was very effective next to Lindholm — with Boston holding a 13-4 edge in shots on goal during the 14:43 of 5v5 ice time that Lindholm and Stralman skated together. 

In the short term, a Lindholm-Stralman duo has the makings of a pair that can keep this unit afloat as both Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk lick their wounds. And if Stralman can continue to string together steady performances like the one he put forth on Tuesday, he seems like a natural fit as a third-pairing regular once the calendar begins to shift to the winter. 

"Calm, cool, collected,” Montgomery said of the Lindholm-Stralman pair. “And they had some great breakouts. ... I haven't looked at the final sheet, but they were really good.”

Of course, Stralman actually needs to sign a contract with the Bruins in order to remain with the club beyond camp. And even though Stralman noted on Wednesday that he has yet to have talks with Boston about an actual deal at this stage of the preseason, another game or two of strong play should accelerate those discussions.

Cuts announced

The Bruins training camp roster is finally starting to get pared down.

Joey Abate, Samuel Asselin, Francois Brassard, Justin Brazeau, Brandon Bussi, Josiah Didier, J.D. Greenway, Curtis Hall, Georgii Merkulov, Luke Toporowski, Eduards Tralmaks, Alex-Olivier Voyer, and Jacob Wilson will report to Providence Bruins Training Camp, while Matthew Poitras will return to the Guelph Storm in the OHL. 

Odds and Ends

Expect a veteran-heavy lineup for Saturday’s game against the Flyers, with Montgomery confirming that both the Zacha-Bergeron-DeBrusk / Hall-Krejci-Pastrnak are slated to play in the matinee at TD Garden.

After his two-goal showing last night against the Rangers, A.J. Greer earned himself a promotion during Wednesday’s practice, with the winger skating next to Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith. Even though Greer seems to be the current leader in the clubhouse when it comes to securing a starting role on the fourth line, his finishing touch – coupled with a so-so game from Trent Frederic — could potentially warrant a look for Greer up on that third line. If the Greer we saw on Tuesday is the one that the Bruins get all season long, he could be more than just a fourth-line brusier.

UP NEXT

The Bruins will have Thursday off, but will continue their training-camp sessions on Friday — starting with a Group A practice at 10 a.m.