The Bs don't know what captain Patrice Bergeron's plans are, and now they know they'll be without Brad Marchand for at least the first two months of the regular season after he underwent successful hip surgery on Friday. If the Bruins also honour Jake Debrusk's trade request, the club could be without their entire top line from the last half of last season to start the 2022-23 season.
Boston will also be up against the cap as well. So they may have to look internally for help at players like Cameron Hughes, Jack Ahcan, Georgi Merkulov, Fabian Lysell, and maybe the most interesting prospect, Jack Studnicka.
Studnicka is a centre that was drafted in the second round (53rd overall) in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He has appeared in 37 NHL games since being drafted and has collected 1 goal and 6 assists. In the same time frame, Studnicka has played 117 games in the AHL for the Providence Bruins and has recorded 34 goals and 92 assists. With a career-best point pace in the 2021-22 season, where he amassed 10 goals and 25 assists in just 41 games played.
