Jack Studnicka will have a tall task ahead of him as he joins the Boston Bruins on Friday, as the young center will skate on the top line alongside Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk in Winnipeg.
But Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy, and Providence Bruins head coach Ryan Mougenel, believe Studnicka, who joined the NHL club from the AHL's P-Bruins, is up to the task.
"Ryan Mougenel gave him a real good recommendation," Cassidy told reporters Friday ahead of the Bruins' game against the Jets. "One of their best players, if not their best player over the last stretch of time here two weeks three weeks. Playing well in all areas. As he described it, his game's in a good place. Obviously offensively you see the numbers, but the rest of his game has been good too away from the puck, habits and details."
The 23-year-old has played 10 games with the Bruins this season and has 33 points (nine goals, 24 assists) through 37 games in Providence.
Studnicka is with the Bruins in the wake of an upper-body injury to Patrice Bergeron. That ailment kept the top-line center out of Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Wild, in which Studnicka was expected to slot in but could not travel to Minnesota in time.
Tomas Nosek got the nod that night, and his play impressed Marchand.
Puck drop for Bruins-Jets is at 8 p.m. ET, and you can watch it live on NESN.
