Whenever the NHL returns, Jack Studnicka will be ready.
The Boston Bruins center is gearing up for his second year in the league following a solid rookie campaign. He's done some serious self-improvement during the offseason, too.
In fact, he's filled out a bit in the last 2 1/2 months.
"Definitely a little bit heavier," he told The Boston Globe's Matt Porter. "I've been able to hold over 180 (pounds) consistently. I never even got above 180 the offseason before. Overall, I'm healthier and in good shape."
Studnicka learned a lot from his first year in the NHL. It allowed him to hone in on the finer details of his game and "fine-tune" his training. Now, he wants to apply it in a team setting.
The 21-year-old returned to Boston on Thursday to begin the mandatory quarantine required to practice at Warrior Ice Arena. He's excited to get back to work, though he "hasn't heard much" from the team as the league sorts out its plans for the 2020-21 season.
Until then, Studnicka plans to continue improving himself any way he can. He plans to adopt a similar mindset for the upcoming season, too.
"Just trying to stay in the moment and every day, try to take strides forward and not look too far into the future," he said. "Just keep growing my game, and hopefully things will fall into place."
