Who Will Be The Bruins Third Line Center In 2018-19?
On October 3rd, 2018, the Boston Bruins will start their 2018–19 campaign against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals. As we inch closer to the start of the season, it’s time to start looking at some of the position battles that’ll be happening in training camp. One that brings a lot of intrigue is the third line center role.
Vacated by Riley Nash, the third line center spot seems to be open for an incoming rookie to grab. Some believe that Sean Kuraly could take the spot, but my sense is that the Bruins will continue to roll Kuraly out in the fourth line center role, one that he fits in quite nicely. With Kuraly out of the mix, here’s who could step in and grab the spot on opening night:
Trent Frederic
A few weeks ago I said that I believe Frederic will spend the whole season in Providence and to be quite honest, I still feel that way. However, if he comes in and has a tremendous camp then there’s no reason for him to not be on the club. After a 32 point season in the NCAA Frederic got a taste of the AHL. In 16 total AHL games he picked up five goals and four assists for the baby b’s. His AHL experience should help him in training camp and if it all comes together for him he’ll find himself on the Bruins opening night roster.
Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson
Forsbacka Karlsson is coming off of his first full season as a professional hockey player and may seem like the perfect fit for the role. A concussion knocked him out for an extended period of time, but he still was still able to get significant time in the AHL. JFK is known to have a two-way playing style, which is what Nash brought to the table for the Bruins. If he comes into camp and shows that his pro experience was helpful last season and that he’s perfectly capable of playing a 200 foot game in the NHL, he’ll be tough to beat out for the spot on the roster.
Jack Studnicka
I can’t sit here and say I’ve watch Jack Studnicka play a ton of hockey over the last season because I haven’t. However, many who follow the team more closely than I do have seen him play and seem impressed with him. He’s coming off a solid season in the OHL where he put up 22 goals and 50 assists in 66 games for the Oshawa Generals. He also had a cup of coffee with the Providence Bruins and tallied a goal and four assists for the team in five regular season games. Those numbers speak for themselves. There’s a lot of belief that the spot is his if he decides to earn it, now he just has to go out and take it.
Kevin Maggiore (@kevin_maggiore)