(Article) Canucks: How heightened fitness, resolve could give Jack Studnicka roster bite

[RWJC]

Canucks: How heightened fitness, resolve could give Jack Studnicka roster bite 

 

Ben Kuzma

Published Sep 13, 2023  •  Last updated 17 hours ago  •  4 minute read

 

Studnicka, 24, has added 10 pounds of needed muscle, more quickness and plenty of resolve to rebound from a sub-par season.

 

Jack Studnicka has new teeth, but could lose them in an old-school run at a roster spot.
The Vancouver Canucks winger had two missing upper and four wobbly lower teeth replaced with crowns in the off-season. However, his vow to bring improved fitness and ferocity to training camp next week in Victoria could eventually require another visit to the dentist because he doesn’t wear a mouth guard.

 

“There’s a chance,” Studnicka admitted Wednesday following a team pre-camp skate at the University of B.C. “It will be a tough thing to do, but I will just own the dentist time if I have to do it. The top two in front had been missing for about four years. 

 

“I scored a goal off my teeth in a preseason game in Boston and knocked them right out. And one time I went to head the ball in sewer ball in the OHL with Oshawa (pre-game hallway soccer) and somebody else went to elbow it. I got tired of fixing them.” 

 

 

Studnicka, 24, has added 10 pounds of needed muscle, more quickness and plenty of resolve to rebound from a sub-par season, but is in tough amid of glut of wingers. He’s also in the final year of a two-year extension signed with the Bruins that carries a US$762,500 salary cap hit.

 

While Studnicka is a financial fit, he was a frequent healthy scratch —  including 10 of 11 games in March — and was challenged by head coach Rick Tocchet to find consistency and make better puck decisions to become more of a bottom-six roster staple than an option.

 

“I did not play my best hockey after the All-Star break — I was tentative — and when you have a new coach you only get one first impression and mine wasn’t the best,” admitted Studnicka, who had just eight points (4-4) in 47 games.
 

 

“I didn’t deserve to play and had to battle back, but the last five or six games, I had a nice showing of what I can do.

 

“And I got a lot better over the summer and knew it had to happen. I feel really fresh. I’m excited to get to camp and win a job.
 

Part of the improvement was buying a house in his hometown of Northville, Mich. and being close to the U.S. National Development Team Program at Plymouth. It’s where he trained with USNTDP players and grads like Quinn Hughes to get a leg up on what awaits.

 

“I didn’t take much time off,” said Studnicka. “A couple of us stuck around (Vancouver) after the year to kind of get a little head start on how we have to train and I brought that home. The national team has a great facility, great training and nutrition and I took it very seriously this year.” 
 

Studnicka did have his moments last season. When aligned with Dakota Joshua and Nils Aman, he helped form a Crazy 8s line that combined gritty elements to be a forechecking presence. There were dominant shifts where they hemmed in the opposition in its own end.

 

However, any alignment has to be earned and this is nothing new for Studnicka. He was a 2017 second-round pick of the Bruins and is a centre by trade, but cracking a deep roster down the middle wasn’t going to happen. It’s the same situation here. 

 

Studnicka was acquired in an Oct. 27 trade that sent goaltender Michael Di Pietro and defenceman Jonathan Myrenberg to Boston. And with injured centre Curtis Lazar sidelined for a month, it added another pivot and penalty killer to the Canucks mix.

 

“I’ve never really come into camp comfortable,” said Studnicka. “Certainly used to the competition and I’m ready to relish it. I just play the game I love and do my thing. I’m going in with a pretty open mind of whatever I’m asked to do.

 

“Play fast and harder this year and be harder on pucks and the forecheck and maybe run some bodies a little more.”

 

Studnicka averaged 10:39 of ice time per outing last season and played as little as 5:50 and as much as 14:12. These were some of his late-season efforts:

 

• On April 8 against Calgary, he had an assist, three shots, six attempts, three hits and a blocked shot in 11:55 of ice time. Eight of his 19 shifts came in the third period in a tight struggle and the 4:08 was the most he logged in any period. He had earned some trust.
 

 

 • On April 6 against Chicago, he was quieter with one shot, three attempts and two hits in 10:26.

 

• On April 2 against Seattle, he didn’t register a shot, but had six hits in just 9:29 of ice time, that included 3:57 in the third, more than the previous two frames.

 

“The way I was raised, it’s not going to be easy,” said Studnicka. “If you have challenges in your life, that’s a good thing. You have keep plugging. I come from a hockey family. 

 

“My brother is four years older and started the training process and I would hop in with his teammates and my dad was the coach. I was younger but I was there.”

 

bkuzma@postmedia.com

 

 

 

[EternalCanuckFan]

Studnicka has a lot to prove to be on the roster but I do hope he can achieve it (even if it's as the 13th forward). He's a guy that has had to adapt his game to try and make it in the NHL. Still may be able to contribute more offense than he has shown, but seems less likely at this point that he'll achieve that at the NHL level. Still, he's relatively young and skates well, so hopefully he can find something that works.

[250Integra]

I like Jack but from what he has shown so far, he's not good enough to be a contributable top six player and he doesn't really fit the mold of a bottom six guy. In terms of being a bottom six center, he's around the same size as Suter or Blueger but there's no way they'll sit the new guys over him. As for wingers, I can't see him taking anyone's spot on the roster. He might be 13th forward on this team but even that is a stretch. Assuming everyone is healthy and no trades to start the season:

 

Mikheyev-Pettersson-Kuzmenko

Beauvillier-Miller-Boeser

Pearson-Blueger-Garland

Podkolzin-Suter-Joshua

 

Extras: PDG, Hoglander, Studnicka...

 

 

Edited September 14, 2023 by 250Integra

[Odd.]

He’s going to need to carve out a bottom 6 type of game if he ever wants to stick around. He has good set of wheels and when he’s motivated, is a relentless forechecker. He’s got decent puck skills but lacks brains. Fortunately you don’t need major brains carving out a bottom 6 career. 10 pounds of muscle is considerable. That puts him close to 200lbs.

Edited September 14, 2023 by Odd.

[PhillipBlunt]

Studnicka and Joshua were good together. Hopefully more of that happens this year. 

[icycold]

Klim is going to argue that.. he's still my dark horse since he was drafted, he had to round out his game which is clearly obvious he has, and RT is going to love having Klim on the roster soon to finish molding him. We need Klim to be a replica of how RT played, and we should be happy he wasn't thrown into the NHL right away but seasoned properly so he didn't end up 1 dimensional! Mark my words, Klim is going to be a force out there and other players had better be skating with their heads up or else suffer the consequences big time, and we need more of that so I'm definitely looking forward to it. 

[-AJ-]

I don't see a spot for him, but I'd love for him to prove me wrong. His play last year is between 13th forward and top six AHL. We'll see if he has another level or if he's already at his ceiling.

[IBatch]

58 minutes ago, -AJ- said:

I don't see a spot for him, but I'd love for him to prove me wrong. His play last year is between 13th forward and top six AHL. We'll see if he has another level or if he's already at his ceiling.

What he's got going for him, is he's the only RHC on the roster right now expected to compete for a spot. 

[RakuRaku]

His only chance to stick would only come if both of these are happening:

 

1) he really shows up in camp and preseason and make his presence felt every shift

2) trades have to happen to shed 1-2 forwards

 

I do like his profile though.... got decent size, RH shot, can play both C and RW, got some grit... it's up to him now to win a job!!!

[DrJockitch]

How many of these articles do we need a year.

So Brock, Kuz, Podz and Studnicka decided to get in shape this year.  That is a professional athlete's obligation, why is this news.

Well I hope Studnicka has a great year in Abby, glad he decided fitness was important for a professional athlete.  Fit or not he isn't in the top 15 forwards.

Edited September 14, 2023 by DrJockitch

[EddieVedder]

He has lots of potential to be a solid bottom 6 guy for us.  Size, motor, grit, good hockey iq.  Hope he gets a shot.  

[RWJC]

31 minutes ago, DrJockitch said:

How many of these articles do we need a year.

So Brock, Kuz, Podz and Studnicka decided to get in shape this year.  That is a professional athlete's obligation, why is this news.

Well I hope Studnicka has a great year in Abby, glad he decided fitness was important for a professional athlete.  Fit or not he isn't in the top 15 forwards.

The articles are posted for the fans who want to hear about specific Nux players.
 

Do you think for some reason this is just specific to our team and that there isn’t coverage of athletes like this in all forms of sport?!?

 

There’s no obligation for you to read them. It’s not CDC homework. 

Why people have to bitch about the most mundane things tells a lot about who they are as a person. You realize that, right?
 

[DrJockitch]

3 minutes ago, RWJC said:

The articles are posted for the fans who want to hear about specific Nux players.
 

Do you think for some reason this is just specific to our team and that there isn’t coverage of athletes like this in all forms of sport?!?

 

There’s no obligation for you to read them. It’s not CDC homework. 

Why people have to bitch about the most mundane things tells a lot about who they are as a person. You realize that, right?
 

Right back at ya. 

[RWJC]

4 minutes ago, DrJockitch said:

Right back at ya. 

I’m responding to you because I posted the article. 

 

Like I said, no one forced you to read it so perhaps you should just be upset with yourself for “wasting” your own time and assuming or excepting something else from the article, instead of trolling something others might enjoy. 

I mean, what’s the point of your post?

We have a glut of wingers vying for few available positions with the club going into camp. Of course there is going to be coverage of individual players and their status and journey and intention. Some fans want to read up on that. Hell, it’s a Province newspaper article so that might tell you something as well, no?

 

 

 

[Alflives]

2 hours ago, -AJ- said:

I don't see a spot for him, but I'd love for him to prove me wrong. His play last year is between 13th forward and top six AHL. We'll see if he has another level or if he's already at his ceiling.

Seems like Studnika has figured out if he wants to earn an NHL salary he had to change his fitness and size. It's good to have guys fighting for spots on the big club. 

[DrJockitch]

10 minutes ago, RWJC said:

I’m responding to you because I posted the article. 

 

Like I said, no one forced you to read it so perhaps you should just be upset with yourself for “wasting” your own time and assuming or excepting something else from the article, instead of trolling something others might enjoy. 

I mean, what’s the point of your post?

We have a glut of wingers vying for few available positions with the club going into camp. Of course there is going to be coverage of individual players and their status and journey and intention. Some fans want to read up on that. Hell, it’s a Province newspaper article so that might tell you something as well, no?

 

 

 

Now you want to know my point when you first told me I wasn't entitled to posting my opinion.

My opinion as stated in this post and the last one about Podz is what I stated.  Pro athletes don't deserve pats on the head for showing up in shape and that is what all these articles are.  These are just fluff as most everything in the Province is.

Here is the thing, you don't need to read or post to my response just like you are saying to me.

Why post anything if you don't want to see an opinion contrary to yours.

I don't think Studnicka is close to making this team in shape or not.  As you noted there is a glut of wingers of varying quality but almost all better than what Studnicka has shown.  He is a bottom 6 NHL/AHL tweener.

I still don't think an athlete being fit is news especially if they don't ask the simple question of why in your prior years as a professional athlete did you decide to come into camp in something other than optimum shape, but that would be journalism not a silly puff piece.

[RWJC]

23 minutes ago, DrJockitch said:

Now you want to know my point when you first told me I wasn't entitled to posting my opinion.

My opinion as stated in this post and the last one about Podz is what I stated.  Pro athletes don't deserve pats on the head for showing up in shape and that is what all these articles are.  These are just fluff as most everything in the Province is.

Here is the thing, you don't need to read or post to my response just like you are saying to me.

Why post anything if you don't want to see an opinion contrary to yours.

I don't think Studnicka is close to making this team in shape or not.  As you noted there is a glut of wingers of varying quality but almost all better than what Studnicka has shown.  He is a bottom 6 NHL/AHL tweener.

I still don't think an athlete being fit is news especially if they don't ask the simple question of why in your prior years as a professional athlete did you decide to come into camp in something other than optimum shape, but that would be journalism not a silly puff piece.

I never intimated that you’re not entitled to your opinion. By all means go ahead. 
i don’t mind a contrary opinion. I just wasnt sure if you were focusing it on me for sharing the article and/or if your angst was about the content or subject.

 

if it was directed at me - the yeah of course I’m going to reply because you’re attempting to engage that. That’s called being respectful of your opinion, no? What would be disrespectful is ignoring you. 

And we’re in a public forum so if I share something and someone doesn’t like it, I’d like to know why. 
 

at any rate, I’m going to continue to post these when they come about so just a heads up. 

I like coverage of the players that wear our jersey. Whether it’s a “fluff piece” or not, I’m a fan, and sometimes a mindless article is simply a fine way to waste my time. 
 

I agree with you that an athlete’s profession requires them being in shape. Sometimes things obstruct that. Hockey is already a very physically demanding sport and there’s an “off season” for very good reasons. Sometimes these articles explain that, or how life may have interfered in certain plans or status. 
That’s it that’s all. There’s another side to hockey than just what occurs on the ice.

for some, that’s equally as interesting.

obviously it’s not the same for you so perhaps you could contact Ben Kuzma (the author) as well to have these reprehensible articles banished forevermore. 

 

Edited September 14, 2023 by RWJC

[spook007]

1 hour ago, RWJC said:

I’m responding to you because I posted the article. 

 

Like I said, no one forced you to read it so perhaps you should just be upset with yourself for “wasting” your own time and assuming or excepting something else from the article, instead of trolling something others might enjoy. 

I mean, what’s the point of your post?

We have a glut of wingers vying for few available positions with the club going into camp. Of course there is going to be coverage of individual players and their status and journey and intention. Some fans want to read up on that. Hell, it’s a Province newspaper article so that might tell you something as well, no?

 

 

 

Thanks for posting..

I appreciate getting to see the articles. If folks don't care, then don't read... we can only speak so much about Peteys next contract.

[Citizen Erased]

He really puts the stud in Studnicka! Hope he enjoys his season in Abby. 

[Hairy Kneel]

Abby bound. No real toughness no real scoring punch from what saw last year. My darkhorse for the 4th line would be a converted dman, Bam bam Juulsen. One good hit guaranteed every game. Can draw a lot of revenge penalties. Helps momentum.