Will this be the season Jack Studnicka breaks through and makes a name for himself?
The Boston Bruins forward ranked 61st on a list of “Top 100 NHL Prospects for 2019-20” ESPN’s Chris Peters published Wednesday. The Bruins selected Studnicka with their second-round pick (53rd overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, and he’s expected to compete for a spot on their roster in training camp. Peters envisions Studnicka will start the season with the AHL Providence Bruins before making the jump to Boston in the not-too-distant future.
“A free-wheeling forward who can do a little bit of everything, Studnicka will be put to the test early in the AHL,” Peters wrote. “But he looks more than ready to make the most of it.”
Studnicka’s rank and status as Boston’s lone representative on Peters’ list offers some insight into why ESPN ranked the Bruins’ prospect pool 29th out of the NHL’s 31 teams.
Nevertheless, it’s worth noting Peters limits consideration for his top-100 list to players who have have Calder Trophy eligibility, i.e. played 25 or fewer games in the 2018-19 regular season or 50 or fewer in their careers. Players also must be age 25 or younger to crack his list.
