The Vancouver Canucks have recalled forward Jack Studnicka from the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks ahead of their first five-game road trip of the season. General manager Patrik Allvin made the announcement on Thursday morning:
The Canucks acquired Studnicka, 24, in a trade with the Boston Bruins last October, sending back Michael DiPietro and prospect Jonathan Myrenberg the other way. Studnicka appeared in 47 games with the Canucks last season, but struggled to find a regular home in the Canucks’ NHL lineup. Studnicka had a big offseason, and looked like a man on a mission at training camp and in the preseason.
Studnicka looked primed to forge himself a role on the Canucks’ fourth line, but after the club acquired Sam Lafferty from Toronto, Studnicka found himself on the outside looking in of the Canucks’ opening night roster.
The Canucks kicked off their season last night, and due to salary cap gymnastics already evident in their opening night roster, both they and the Edmonton Oilers were forced to dress 11 forwards and six defencemen. Because of that, the Canucks were allowed to recall Studnicka under emergency conditions, meaning he doesn’t have a cap hit.
Vancouver’s impressive 8-1 win over the Oilers made headlines for numerous reasons, and the Canucks will look to keep the good times rolling as they embark on a five game homestand starting in Edmonton on Saturday against those same Oilers. The Oilers are almost certainly going to put together a strong bounce back effort, especially after Oilers captain Connor McDavid expressed his displeasure with the Canucks pulling Thatcher Demko halfway through the third (he didn’t know Demko was ill at the time) and that the Canucks continued to roll up their first power play unit despite being up 7-1.
If there wasn’t any bad blood between these teams before, there’s certainly at least some of it now.
You can read more about last night’s game and McDavid’s comments in The Stanchies by clicking here!
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