Studnicka (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) again can't be sent to the AHL because of his age, so he'll either play in the NHL or the OHL this season. The competition for the Bruins' third center job figures to be stiff, with two other rookies, Trent Frederic and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, and Sean Kuraly among the other contenders.
Neither Studnicka's accomplishments from last season nor his performance in development camp will get him his coveted NHL job. He knows he has to put in more work before training camp.
"I think getting stronger over the summer [is a priority], you hear it all the time with young guys," he said. "A big part of my game, I want to really start winning my one-on-one battles, being able to be relied on in big situations like face-offs, be strong. So I think a big part of [my improvement] is going to come in the gym this summer."
Though Studnicka aims to improve physically, his mentality has impressed the Bruins front office.
"I think if you would have asked him last September, his goal was to make the team also," Langenbrunner said. "He wants to do that, that's great. We're not going to take that away from him. If he's able to push and take that job, then great."