The Bruins didn’t reach an agreement with Jack Studnicka by the time that qualifying offers lapsed on Friday but they didn’t need much time after that to sign him. The team announced that they’ve signed the forward to a two-year contract. The deal carries an AAV of $762.5K and is a two-way agreement for 2022-23 and a one-year pact for 2023-24.
The 23-year-old was a second-round pick of the Bruins in 2017 (53rd overall) and has seen some NHL action in each of his first three professional campaigns. Last season, Studnicka played in 15 games with Boston, picking up three assists while averaging 12:35 per game. He was more productive in the minors with AHL Providence, notching 10 goals and 25 assists in 41 contests, the best points-per-game rate of his three professional seasons.
Studnicka will have to pass through waivers next season to make it back to Providence and while he hasn’t had a lot of NHL success just yet (a goal and six assists in 37 games), the fact he’s a young center with some experience would make him a candidate to be claimed off waivers Boston tried to send him back down. Instead, it seems likely that Studnicka will be able to collect his NHL salary for both years – $750K next season and $775K in 2023-24 – by hanging on to a spot at the back of Boston’s roster while hoping to land a full-time spot in their lineup.
John Matisz of The Score was the first to report the contract.
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