BUFFALO – There were no games on Sunday in the Prospects Challenge. The Bruins practiced at HarborCenter in the early afternoon and then Jay Leach and players were available, so I gathered some odds and ends for a notebook.

LAST CALL

The 2-0 Bruins play their final game on Monday morning at 9:30 against the 1-1 New Jersey Devils. Look for free agent Dawson Weatherill in goal. Tentatively, the plan is that players headed to China with the big club on Tuesday won’t play, Leach said. They are Ryan Donato, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Trent Frederic, Jack Studnicka, Jakub Zboril and Urho Vaakanainen.

AXEL ANDERSSON

Learning from mistakes is part of the process for young players.

The 18-year-old Swedish defenseman make a pretty move to elude one Buffalo player early in Saturday’s game, then in the blink of an eye gave the puck away for a Grade A scoring chance.

“I think we’re at a place within the game where we want people to make plays. We want some skill. We want these guys to be able to make a play like that. Where we are with that particular play, we showed it to him and said, ‘Hey, you made an unbelievable first play. Make a pass the second time,’ ” said Leach.

“But that’s the evolution of a kid. You asked me yesterday about him and what he needs to do. He needs to make that play and that move and then get rid of it. After that he settled in. He has the ability to see the ice fairly well. He seems to be very courageous. There’s definitely something there.’’

Rookie tournaments like the Prospects Challenge can be particularly challenging for young defensemen.

“If you see defensemen out there in these games that are able to make a couple of passes and make plays, it’s very encouraging because the game is very scrambled and it’s hard to play as a defenseman. I thought his game was, overall, pretty effective,’’ Leach said.

“You pack the building, you have scouts from four different organizations and then you tell a kid that has never really played in North America that you’re going to play a completely different way, and then on top of that we want you to go make plays. There’s a lot going on in his head.’’

RINK RAT

Ryan Donato really is a rink rat. He was one of the first players at the rink today, arriving well ahead of the team bus. Then he was the first guy on the ice and the last one off, long after practice ended.

RYAN FITZGERALD

Coming off a 21-goal rookie season in Providence, the Boston College alumnus continues to fly under the radar as a prospect, but he’s not concerned about it.

“I feel kind of like it’s been that way for a while for me. It’s not something I think too much about. I’m comfortable with it. It’s something I think I embrace,’’ he said.

Fitzgerald, who assisted on two goals on Saturday, played well in both games so far. He has Leach solidly in his corner.

“Every night he’s pretty much the same guy. He gets inside people. Excellent around the net. He booted a couple (on Friday night), which is going to happen in this tournament, but as the third (period) got through, he started to go through people, made a nice play to get a shot off through a defender late in the third,’’ he said.

More penalty killing will be added to Fitzgerald’s responsibilities in Providence this year.

“We want to round out these players so that they can do a lot of things for us whenever needed. I think he’s going to continue to be an offensive threat, like he was last year. He’s working on being a bit more efficient with his skating and get that extra gear,’’ said Leach.

CONNOR CLIFTON

Clifton earned an upgrade from an AHL contract to a two-year NHL deal with his play as a Providence rookie last season. I asked him what he learned and what he needs to do to take the next step.

“Just getting used to the speed and the professional life. Having a year under my belt is great. Lots of nerves last training camp. Now I can just kind of settle in and just play,’’ he said.

“Obviously, I needed to gain a little experience, get my confidence up. It took me a bit to get in the lineup, but by the end I hit the ground running. I just want to keep doing that and keep going up from here.’’

Clifton plays with a lot of enthusiasm, charging up the ice with abandon at times.

“Cliffy is fun to play with. Fun in a lot of different ways. You might find yourself on the receiving end of a two on one (against), but he’s very engaged,’’ said Leach.

“He has this infectious personality and he will get his partner, whoever it is, involved in a game. He talks a lot. (Urho Vaakanainen) is a reserved kid. That (Vaakanainen-Clifton pairing on Saturday) we strategically tried to do just to see if we could bring him out. Vaak was really pretty effective last night. He skated well, he did some nice things. That was nice to see.’’

JEREMY LAUZON

He enters his second year after playing 52 games as a rookie, missing a good chunk of the season with a concussion.

“Last year for me was a year to learn how to act like a pro, play like a pro. I remember my last year of junior. If I was coming to a game and I wasn’t prepared to play, I was still able to do enough. But now you’ve got to be prepared for every game. It’s a different mindset to be a pro,” he said.

“For this year, I need to stay healthy first. Last year I had a good start and after that I got my concussion and that slowed me a little bit. I’m really looking forward to this year. I had a great summer of training. I feel like my skating got better; my puckhandling, too. It’s going to be a big year for me.”

After putting up good offensive numbers in juniors, Lauzon posted only seven points as a rookie.

“Last year I was really concentrating on the defensive part, be reliable in my zone. In my junior career, playing in the offensive zone was a part of the game that I loved. I’m going to make the effort to play more offense this year,” he said.

Good health and playing time are all Lauzon needs, according to Leach.

“For a lot of defensemen, the remedy is just playing time. He’s such a high-strung guy that is willing to compete at such a high level that sometimes that does get in the way of timing or making a play or two. As you get playing and you get a little bit older, he’ll calm down and start to learn the angles, learn certain things that will allow you to make a play,” he said.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“He’s willing to go to the places where it hurts’’ — Jakub Zboril describing feisty 3^rd rounder Jakub Lauko

 

BUFFALO – Dan Vladar (38 saves) and Karson Kuhlman (two goals) were standouts in Boston’s 3-1 win over Buffalo in the Prospects Challenge at a jam-packed HarborCenter on Saturday night.

“I thought we skated, is what I really liked,’’ coach Jay Leach said afterward. “I thought we took it to them. They have a lot of skill. There’s two ways to go about it. You can sit back and trust your systems or you can go at them. I even asked the guys in the room, ‘What do you want to do?’ They wanted to go. Our guys can skate and we really showed that tonight.

“We competed on pucks. Gave up some chances, for sure, which you’re going to see in this tournament. Vladdy was there for us. Overall, I really liked our compete and the way we skated.’’

Trent Frederic scored first for the Bruins, shoveling in a rebound after Urho Vaakanainen made a strong drive to the net.

After Vasily Glotov tied the game for Buffalo, Kuhlman ripped home the rebound of a Ryan Fitzgerald shot in the last minute of the first period. He added an empty net goal with 27 seconds left.

Fitzgerald finished with two assists; Vaakanainen, Connor Clifton and Jacob Forsbacka Karlsson had one helper each.

KARSON KUHLMAN

Here’s what I wrote about Karson Kuhlman during development camp in June:

“He may not make the Boston Bruins out of training camp, but I like Karson Kuhlman’s chances of playing NHL games at some point during his upcoming rookie season.”

After Saturday night, I like his chances even more. Simply put, Kuhlman is the kind of player that coaches love.

“I’ve gotta be careful because you can only compliment guys so much, but he’s the real deal,” said Leach.

Kuhlman played two regular season games and one playoff game with Providence in the spring, after captaining Minnesota Duluth to the national championship and being voted Frozen Four MVP.

“By the end of the playoff game he was one of our top guys,” Leach said. “Tonight his speed was exceptional. He was great on the penalty kill. He gets everything out. He gets everything in. He was able to capitalize with a couple of goals.”

Leach compared Kuhlman to Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust, who he coached with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a few years back.

Kuhlman is “a bulldog. He’s a dog on a bone. Donnie (Sweeney) just said it. He seeks that puck, those blocked shots, all of that stuff,” Leach said.

For his part, Kuhlman is understandably happy to be with the Bruins.

“It’s a great spot to be. The culture here is unbelievable. They know how to win. Those are things that I hold very high. I think it’s a place where I can develop my game and hopefully take it to the next level,” he said.

DAN VLADAR

He turned 21 just a couple of weeks ago, but Vladar is starting his third pro season and his first as a full-timer in Providence.

A good win in front of a capacity crowd was a nice way to kick off his season.

“It kind of reminded me of a small rink in Europe. It was loud. Everyone had fun tonight,” he said.

Talking to the media, he displayed his engaging, fun-loving personality, a quality that makes him popular with his teammates.

Vladar explained that he was a forward when he started playing back home in the Czech Republic. “I wanted to score goals, but after a year or two I was the worst skater on the team, so coach put me in the net and I started liking it. My dad didn’t like it because it was too expensive, but I liked it,” he said.

He added some muscle to his 6-foot-5 frame over the summer, following a weight program put together by the Boston staff.

Leach said that Vladar’s workload in Providence this season remains to be sorted out.

AXEL ANDERSSON

I paid more attention to 2018 second-round pick Andersson than I did on Friday night and liked what I saw, for the most part. He displayed good poise and escapability with the puck on a couple of occasions. He also turned it over a time or two, most notably in the first period, when he danced a Sabres player in open ice, then immediately gave it away to Tage Thompson, who hit the post on a breakaway. You can live with mistakes like that from an 18-year-old defenseman from time to time.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “This guy’s the best I’ve seen for a long time because of his skating and the fact that he’s so mature.’’ Scotty Bowman on Rasmus Dahlin.

BUFFALO – In an NHL that gets faster every year, Zach Senyshyn’s day is coming.

Not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But it will get here.

Both Senyshyn and Providence coach Jay Leach talked on Saturday morning about where the 21-year-old stands now, where they hope he is headed and how he can be an NHL contributor down the road. It was an interesting window into how the player and the team view his development.

There’s pressure on every first-round draft pick and Senyshyn is no different. He’s handling it the right way, though, rolling with the process and not trying to live up to someone else’s expectations or timeline.

“One thing we hear right after we get drafted from the staff is that now (draft position is) just a number. They really show that in the organization,’’ he said.

“You’re ready when you’re ready. There’s obviously pressure and I want to produce and be able to help this team win, but I try to have faith in the organization and faith in the staff, that they are going to play me when I’m ready.’’

In Providence last season, Leach used the lightning-fast Senyshyn as a bottom six winger, which the first-year pro was not accustomed to after putting up 45 and 42 goals in his final two years in the Ontario Hockey League.

“Different role than I had before, playing on the lower lines and learning how to (penalty kill) and that kind of stuff was big. I want to be an elite PKer, an elite power forward, able to use my speed and offensive abilities on that side of the puck,’’ Senyshyn said after the Bruins’ morning skate on Saturday.

Leach’s take on Senyshyn was refreshingly frank.

“We want him to have a transferable game. Let’s be honest. He’s probably not going to walk in to the second line position or the first line position for the Boston Bruins right away. He’s really not,’’ Leach said.

“So, how’s he going to get in the lineup? He’s probably going to have to be a utility guy for the start, at least. I mean, Brad Marchand did it his first year, turned out to be OK.

“We’re transitioning him, trying to complete him as a player so that when the opportunity does come in Boston, we can throw him in on the third or fourth line and he can give us energy minutes and he can be an effective killer for them. Then, if things pan out, you never know.’’

Leach noted that Senyshyn is so fast that finishing around the net can be difficult at times.

“Clearly his speed is his asset, so if he can effectively use that speed, it’s ideal. He’s always going to be an F1 on the forecheck. We’ve talked a lot with him and he’s expressed a real interest in providing a little more physicality, being an up-and-down winger, bringing that up a level,’’ he said.

“Where I think we would like to see him improve and what I think he’s working on is finishing in tight. A guy that goes that fast, it’s really hard to make a play in tight going that speed. The elite can do it, but the others that have that speed, they just don’t have that polish. That’s what we’re working on, to be able to have that puck control at a high speed, if he’s coming off the rush or a stretch play on a breakaway. He’s really got to hone in on being able to control that puck when he’s going at that exceptional speed.’’

Stay tuned as Senyshyn continues to be a work in progress in Providence.

(By the way, Senyshyn was resplendent in a blue striped suit this morning. “Had to step up my suit game,’’ he joked when complimented. “If you’re going to make it, you have to dress the part.’’)

BUFFALO – Maybe the first game of the 2018 Prospects Challenge wasn’t over as soon as the Bruins coaching staff decided to stack Ryan Fitzgerald, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Ryan Donato on the same line, but it kind of felt that way.

The young Pens had no answer for the Bruins’ top trio, which dominated even while scoring just one goal. Overall, the Boston prospects scored four times in the first 21:09 and rolled to a 4-2 win at Harborcenter.

“They made some high-end plays. (Ryan Donato’s) got the puck on a string quite a bit. JFK is able to really find guys with his great vision. And Fitz, made a nice, nice play at the end there that really showed off his hands. They were an elite line. We put them together to be that way,’’ said coach Jay Leach.

Donato and Cam Hughes each had a goal and an assist. Jack Studnicka scored a nifty goal on a fine individual effort. Wiley Sherman scored on a blast from the blue line. Single assists were notched by Axel Andersson, Jakub Zboril and Daniel Bukac.

Kyle Keyser was sharp in making 35 saves.

Connor Roberts and Adam Johnson scored for the Penguins.

Coaches have been saying it since the beginning of time: The team that gets off the bus with the best players usually wins. That was certainly the case on Friday night.

CENTER STAGE 

On this night anyway, I had Jack Studnicka as the best of the bunch in the three-way battle for the open, bottom-six center job with Boston.

Studnicka’s goal, in which he undressed a couple of defenders, put him over the top. JFK had a strong game, too, while Trent Frederic didn’t have one of his better performances.

According to Leach, Studnicka “might have been a little frustrated with some of the opportunities he had. Again, for these kids, it’s a process of getting into game action. We didn’t really have a power play … so they didn’t really get their touches. For the most part, he competed hard, skated well. I’m sure he’d like to get a couple of more looks offensively.”

JFK is building on last season’s performance as a Providence rookie.

“He has a year under his belt with the pro game. He’s still a young kid. You can tell he’s a lot more comfortable out here competing on pucks against men. Obviously he’s very comfortable playing with some skill. If he continues to progress and compete on those pucks down low, the offensive stuff. For me, he’s really an exceptional talent,” said Leach.

As for Frederic, here’s what Leach had to say:

“I didn’t have a problem with Freddy’s game. I think he might have a problem (with it). He might have been a little frustrated, just from his demeanor on the bench.

“He’s trying to make plays at the blue line – and I’ve gone back and forth on all of this for a long time. We want him to make plays. He’s going to get to the point where he’ll make the right play. We’re not going to tell him to just dump pucks in all night long. There probably were a couple at the blue line that he’d like to have back, where he’d like to take care of the puck, which he will learn.

“Overall, I think he’s looking for a clean game (Saturday) night. He’s always going to compete, he’s always in people’s faces, he’s always skating, so you can’t argue with that.”

URHO VAAKANAINAN

Boston’s first-round pick in 2017 didn’t do anything spectacular, but played a steady game while paired with Daniel Bukac. As advertised, Vaakanainan is very good skater.

“He’s really, really smooth and he definitely, in my opinion, rises to the occasion with regards to playing games,” said Leach.

“He did a lot of good things out there. We’ll work on some stuff. Obviously, it’s a different game over here, a smaller ice surface, and you’ve got to make adjustments, but he’s smooth, likes to play the game, which is always fun to watch. I thought he was pretty good.”

KYLE KEYSER

The undrafted Keyser, who earned a contract off his performance in Buffalo a year ago, he did a nice job finding the puck in traffic on Friday night.

“He’s a gamer, is really the best way to describe it,” said Leach. “Every game I’ve seen him play, he’s able to rise to the occasion. Tonight was another one. You go out in the first period and you get, what, six shots? And then all of a sudden they’ve got three power plays in the second period, and it’s hard. He did a really nice job of staying focused and has a nice presence.”

WILEY SHERMAN

He defended well and chipped in with a goal.

“Wiley was very confrontational and very involved. He had a goal and he got some shots through. I thought he was pretty good,” said Leach.

Sherman, who scored seven goals in four years at Harvard, smiled afterward when asked about his long-range scorcher.

“I just kind of watched it all the way, a little bit in disbelief,” he said.

SABRES ARE NEXT

Look for Dan Vladar to man the net on Saturday against a loaded Sabres squad.

The Bruins sat nine players on Friday. Some of them will play on Saturday.

“I think we’ll mix it in and out, look at injuries, if there are any injuries. I don’t think you’ll see a wholesale swap. We’ll see who’s got what and where and also see who we want to see against a pretty good team,” said Leach.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I want to be a guy who makes an impact in the NHL, not a guy who just makes an NHL roster. I want to make sure I stay and that I’m a guy that other guys on the team can rely on. I want to be a guy that’s in the lineup every night, yeah, but I want to be a guy that has an impact on the game, scores goals and creates plays as well.” — RYAN DONATO

It’s been a couple of months since I wrote anything on Rinkside Rhode Island, but now the dog days are over and it’s time to get back at it, so here goes.

To kick off the new season, I’ll be in Buffalo this weekend at the Prospects Challenge. It was well worth the trip last year, when the Bruins brought a good group that included Charlie McAvoy, Danton Heinen, Matt Grzelcyk and Jake DeBrusk, all of whom made an impact later on in Boston.

I’m on record as saying I don’t see a player moving up from Providence this season and being as effective in the NHL as any of those four were. Of course, I’ve been wrong a time or three, so we’ll see how things turn out.

Here are five players to keep an eye on in Buffalo:

JAKOB FORSBACKA KARLSSON

All things considered, JFK had a solid rookie season in the AHL. It was interrupted midway through when he suffered a concussion when he hit his head on the ice after a collision with Hartford’s Brendan Smith.

I believe he is going to be a good player for Boston, but he didn’t do enough last season to convince me that he’s ready to step into the NHL just yet. He might be well served by spending a little more time in Providence.

For me, there were too many nights last season when he didn’t make enough of an offensive impact for a guy with his tools. He’s a setup man, not a sniper, but there were 16 games when he had zero shots on net and 15 more when he had only one.

That being said, a strong camp and his one year of experience may give him an edge on rookies Trent Frederic and Jack Studnicka.

TRENT FREDERIC

He’s an average skater but he gets around the ice well enough. He’s got good size, a dangerous shot and he can make a play. In addition to those attributes, he has a healthy helping of “fuck you’’ in his game.

Frederic spent the end of the season with Providence and played well. When I ran into Lehigh Valley coach Scott Gordon a couple weeks ago, he mentioned that Frederic impressed him.

It will be interesting in Buffalo to see if Frederic can pick up where he left off. I’m betting he can.

In my opinion, he’s not all that far from being ready for NHL duty. If he doesn’t make Boston’s opening night roster, I could see him spending, say, half a season with the P-Bruins and then moving up.

JACK STUDNICKA

Studnicka also finished up in Providence in the spring and held his own. He was a standout in development camp and he’s saying all the right things about making the big club sooner rather than later.

He’s an excellent prospect but is he ready right now to skip the Providence rung on the development ladder and jump straight from the OHL to the NHL?

Barring a light’s out performance in the preseason, it seems to me Studnicka’s development would be best served this season by dominating with Oshawa and being a significant contributor for Canada’s World Junior team.

JAKUB ZBORIL

A year ago in Buffalo, Zboril played poorly in the opening game against the Penguins. To his credit, he stepped up afterwards and said so, then performed much better in the final two games.

He had the usual ups and downs as an AHL rookie last season, but finished on a positive note.

While Zboril has the tools to be an NHL defenseman, Jay Leach said more than once last season that he must continue to push his limits. We’ll see how the other Z does with that in his second pro season in Providence.

RYAN DONATO

Saved the best for last. Obviously, he’s the only guy on my short list who is a virtual lock to be in the opening night lineup in Washington.

Building on his experience in the NHL regular season and playoffs, I’m looking for Donato to have a strong rookie season. I believe he has a legit chance to hit the 20-25 goal mark.

In talking to Bruce Cassidy recently about the Prospects Challenge, he remembered David Pastrnak and Filip Forsberg as being standouts when Boston took a team to Nashville for a rookie tourney a few years back, foreshadowing their emergence as big-time NHL players.

“If a young guy really steps up there, then there’s a pretty good chance he’ll do well with us,’’ Cassidy said.

Not to suggest that Donato is in the class of a Pasternak or a Forsberg, but it will be intriguing this weekend to see how he measures up against his peer group of top prospects for Buffalo, New Jersey and Pittsburgh.

Final thoughts from Boston Bruins development camp.

JACK STUDNICKA

He was the best player in camp.

Others who had a good week: Teemu Kivihalme, Karson Kuhlman, Mitch Fossier, Oskar Steen and Philip Beaulieu.

URHO VAAKANAINEN

Nice prospect, but his camp performance confirmed that he has work to do before he is NHL ready.

“He’s one I’d want to give just a little bit of kick to just to get going a little bit,” said Langenbrunner on Tuesday. “He’s kind of feeling his way through this a little bit.’’

TOMMY MARCHIN

Brown University’s Marchin finished strong with a pair of goals in Friday’s scrimmage. He showed off his hard shot by one-timing a Studnicka feed into the net, then went to the edge of the blue paint for his second score.

Marchin, who turns 23 this fall, is farther along in his development than many of the youngsters in camp. At 6-foot-3 and a solid 215 pounds, he already has a man’s body.

“The beginning few days I was getting into the groove. In the summer, you’re working on technique and you’re going slower, then when you get here you have to do all that stuff at a much higher pace. It was good that I was able to connect it in time, for the last two days,’’ Marchin said.

Brown needs him to put up some numbers this winter and if plays like he did this week, he should have a good year. And have some options to continue playing.

PHILIP BEAULIEU

The 5-foot-9 defenseman put up 42 points in 43 games for Northern Michigan. Moving the puck is his strong point and he did it smartly in Friday’s scrimmage.

“(Camp) was a great experience. Found out what it takes to be at this level. There’s no better place to come than an Original Six organization. You realize what it means to be a pro,’’ he said.

“The way the game has changed, (smaller) guys that can move the puck and prosper is encouraging. Makes me feel like I have a chance. Back in the day, guys like Torey Krug came in and paved the way. I just want to work hard and get to where he is.’’

Beaulieu is a name to keep in mind when NCAA free agent season rolls around next March/April.

MITCH FOSSIER and KYLE KEYSER

Players from non-traditional hockey locales have become a thing lately in the college and pro game.

The Bruins had that base covered with Keyser of Coral Springs, Fla., and Fossier of Alpharetta, Ga.

Keyser, 19, plays for Oshawa of the OHL. He signed his entry-level contract after rookie camp last September. Fossier, 21, is a free agent who will be a junior at Maine.

I asked Keyser how a kid from Florida gets to the OHL?

“Hard work and getting to know the right people who can put you in the right situations to succeed,’’ said Keyser.

“ I was fortunate to grow up in Florida and play hockey there. I met a lot of good people and NHL retired guys that helped me and I’m thankful for that. They gave me the right opportunities and options. The rest was up to me to do the hard work that got me where I am today.

“I grew up playing for the Florida Jr. Panthers, the Alliance, Triple A teams, and we’d come up north here to Boston and Detroit and get as much competition as we could, get scouted as much as we could, and go from there.’’

Keyser considered the college route, but ultimately chose major junior.

“I thought about it long and hard with my family. We spent about a month thinking about me decision and what I was going to do. At the end of the day, I think we made the right decision. The OHL was what I wanted to do. I felt like it’s a professional style of game and I’d be competing against the best players in the world at my age every single night. That’s what I wanted, to give myself the best opportunity to play against the top players, because you’ve going to play against the top players in the NHL, as well.’’

Fossier opted for the NCAA route.

“My dad grew up playing hockey so he put me in it pretty early. Believe it or not, there are a few places that you can play in the South that can get you far enough growing up. Eventually I had to move away from home to play juniors. I was fortunate to have some teammates, even down in Georgia that are playing D-I, too,’’ he said.

“My team for most of my youth hockey was composed of kids from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama that we kind of pulled together to make a AAA team. There was a lot of travel, even just for practice, and flying up north on weekends for games. It was busy for sure.’’

It paid off. After a couple of years of junior hockey, Fossier ended up at Maine. He led the the Black Bears in scoring last season as a sophomore.

Five quick hits from the first day of Boston Bruins development camp.

JACK STUDNICKA

You have to like the way Boston’s 2017 second rounder is thinking.

“I’m going into camp with the mentality that I want to make the team. I want to play in the NHL this year,” the young center said after Tuesday morning’s skate.

Whether you think it’s realistic or not, talk like that is music to the ears of Bruins management.

“I think it’s great that he wants to do that. I think that’s a lofty goal for him as a 19-year-
old. Not a lot of 19-year-olds play in the National Hockey League,” said Jamie Langenbrunner, Boston’s player development coordinator.

“I wouldn’t put it past him, he’s a determined kid. I think if you would have asked him last September, his goal was to make the team also. 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.”

Realistically, Studnicka will likely end up back in Oshawa for 2018-19, which might be for the best. He’ll be the captain again, will probably be one of the leading scorers in the Ontario Hockey League and be in prime position to play on Canada’s team in the World Juniors.

Then he could be ready to bypass Providence as a first-year pro and step right into Boston’s lineup in 2019-20. But you can’t blame him for shooting for the moon this season.

KARSON KUHLMAN

He may not make the Boston Bruins out of training camp, but I like Karson Kuhlman’s chances of playing NHL games at some point during his upcoming rookie season.

Kuhlman, who will be 23 in September, showed me enough during his brief time in Providence in the spring to convince me that he is close to helping in Boston’s bottom six.

He plays the right way and his reputation as a big-game player precedes him. He scored a double overtime goal to end Providence College’s season in the NCAA Tournament in Worcester in 2016. Last spring he was Frozen Four MVP, captaining Minnesota Duluth to the national championship.

“I bring the 200-foot game to the table. I take pride in the defensive zone as well as chipping in offense as much as possible. I just want to be the hardest worker every day. It’s a privilege to come to the rink every day and I just want to give 100 percent every time and hopefully push the other guys around me to do so, as well,” he said.

In addition to training back home in Minnesota, Kuhlman is spending as much time as he can — including plenty of fishing trips — with his dad. Dean Kuhlman, who serves in the Air National Guard, is scheduled for an overseas deployment later this year.

TOMMY MARCHIN

With a blistering shot and good size at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Brown University senior Tom Marchin is going to get some attention from NHL scouts this winter.

Attending Bruins development camp for the first time, Marchin is looking to be more consistent once the season starts in October. When he plays his game, he is a handful along the boards and around the net.

“I’m definitely looking to show that I can play my role as power forward and play more consistently. I’ve been hearing that from my coaches back at school,’’ said Marchin, whose sister Taylor plays for the Yale women’s team.

Marchin scored 14 goals as a freshman, tailed off to just 3 during an injury-shortened sophomore season, then bounced back with 12 last year. He’ll be looking for more as he wraps up his career at Brown.

“My freshman year I played with Mark Naclerio and Nick Lappin and I was able to go in front of the net, pucks would come to the net and I’d bury rebounds and make myself room and (his linemates) room. (Since then) I’ve had to create more on my own, control the puck more and have it on my stick more. That’s going to be helpful next year and beyond. A little more scoring touch would be good,’’ he said.

CURTIS HALL

Turns out 2018 fourth-round pick Curtis Hall and Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy go way back, sort of.

Hall’s father, Mike, played for Cassidy in the ECHL with both the Jacksonville Lizard Kings (can’t get enough of that name) and the Trenton Titans.

According to Curtis, his dad used to bring him to the rink in Trenton when he was very young. “I doubt if (Cassidy) remembers that, but it’s pretty cool,’’ said Curtis, who is headed to Yale in the fall.

“I committed (to Yale) a few years ago and I’ve been looking forward to it ever since. I finally got cleared with my grades and now I’m sure I’m going, so it’s exciting,’’ he said.

JACK BECKER

Beware of first impressions at development camp.

A few years back, I watched Matt Benning at Bruins camp in Wilmington and came away thinking he was the worst player on the ice that summer.

Well, maybe he was and maybe he wasn’t, but he went on to have an excellent career at Northeastern and he just signed a two-year extension with an average annual value of $1.9 million with the Edmonton Oilers. In the end, that first impression didn’t mean jack.

Which brings me to seventh round pick Jack Becker. In the 2015 camp, Becker was just a few weeks past his high school graduation and he looked to be in over his head against players who were older and more experienced.

Jump ahead to 2018 and Becker looks like a different young man – bigger, stronger, more confident.

“I’m just a better hockey player than when I first got drafted,’’ he said on Tuesday morning.

The 6-foot-4 straight-line winger turned 21 on Sunday. Coming off a solid freshman year at Michigan, he is making steady progress.

“College is a good path for me. I love it at Michigan. From my freshman season, I just grew so much. I’m really excited for what’s to come,’’ he said.

Langenbrunner – a Minnesotan like Becker – is playing a part in his continued development.

“We’ll shoot each other texts about the weekend or I’ll give him a call. I ran into him a couple of times at Michigan this year. I remember watching him on TV when I was younger. It’s pretty neat that he’s a resource that I have now. I’m really lucky,’’ Becker said.

Six weeks from unrestricted free agency, Austin Czarnik is weighing whether to re-up with the Boston Bruins or test the open market.

“We have been having some discussions since the season ended with Boston about the possibility of a contract extension, but we’re also taking some time to evaluate where Austin wants to go with it,’’ said Brian Bartlett, Czarnik’s agent.

The 25-year-old Miami University grad, who played a total of 59 NHL games with the Bruins over the last two years, is coming off a standout season with the Providence Bruins. Playing right wing on Providence’s top line, Czarnik finished third in scoring in the American Hockey League with career bests in goals (25) and points (69).

Other NHL teams will be interested if he reaches free agency on July 1. If he decides to remain with Boston, he could have a good opportunity to land a full-time NHL job as the Bruins might have some departures in their bottom six.

“There are times in a players’ career when he can test the free-agent market. We’re contemplating internally a little bit whether that makes sense or signing back with a team that we give a lot of credit to for signing him as an undrafted guy out of college and giving him a good opportunity,’’ said Bartlett.

“He certainly is comfortable and has done a good job in the role that he’s had, both in Boston and in Providence. We’re evaluating internally and talking to the Bruins about what an extension potentially would look like.’’

“There’s that risk/reward line and trying to figure out, what do we think is going to be the best opportunity for Austin to be able to move his career forward? Playing in Boston would be a great opportunity for that.

“If there is a different or better opportunity elsewhere, we won’t know until July 1 or a week before July 1 to even talk to teams. Boston’s done a good job presenting their vision going forward. That’s part of the process we are going through,” he said.

It’s a win-win situation for Czarnik.

“The further you get along in the spring and summer, the more information that you have. From our point of view, we’re not feeling a whole lot of pressure to make a decision before there’s a need to,’’ said Bartlett.

 

Even though they didn’t get past the first round of the playoffs, the Providence Bruins provided plenty of entertainment during the 2017-18 season. Along the way, coach Jay Leach and company helped move a bunch of players further down the road to being NHLers.

“You look back, it was a good year. It was a wild year. You know the American League is a transient league, but I feel like the lineup was never the same. We had a lot of kids that played a lot, which was a challenge, but it’s well worth it. I think everyone got better. We did a lot of things that we wanted to do,’’ said Leach.

The P-Bruins have been a critical cog in Boston’s very successful draft-and-develop machinery over the last few seasons. Watching a winning team is always fun, but for my money how young players progress over the course of a season is the most interesting reason to follow the team.

To be sure, in the 10 years that I’ve been watching Providence closely, the caliber of player that the Bruins bring in has drastically improved. These days, whether they are draft picks or NCAA free agents, they all have something to offer.

It wasn’t always this way.

There was a year when a free-agent defenseman out of junior hockey showed up for camp with 20 extra pounds around his waist. I remember wondering to myself, “When Boston’s scouts got together, who in the hell stood up and went to bat for this kid?’’ He didn’t make it through the season in Providence.

Another year there was a hulking brawler who had all kinds of trouble getting around the ice. As he was getting back in shape after an injury, he jumped into a random pickup game at The Dunk one afternoon. I didn’t stick around to watch, but I was told later that a half dozen of the pickup skaters were clearly better than the guy who was being paid to play in the AHL. He was gone in a hurry, too.

That never happens anymore. Some of the youngsters may not have what it takes to ultimately make it to the NHL, but they have at least some readily identifiable qualities that make them good players.

That brings me to this season’s crop of kids. The P-Bruins had seven rookies who played significant minutes. I don’t believe there were any Jake DeBrusks, Danton Heinens or Matt Grzelcyks in the group – guys who have a great chance to move up next season. But some of these players will contribute to the big club in time.

Obviously, no one knows the rookie players like Leach, so I asked him for his thoughts on each of them.

JAKUB ZBORIL

4-15-19 in 68 regular-season games

Leach: “The thing I liked about Z the most is that his willingness to battle increased. In the beginning of the season, whether it was a battle or a mistake was made or whatever, he was almost one and done. He was very quick to try and save the world and then it was over, as opposed to really buckling down and staying in the battle and trying to fix what happened, whether it was his mistake or somebody else’s. As the season progressed, especially late, I thought he was better at sustaining the battle. Getting in there a little bit more.

“In the playoffs, I really thought overall he had a pretty solid four games. He didn’t hurt us and he played some valuable minutes and he was able to be effective. Overall, I thought it was a first year in a really tough league for a defenseman in which he had some growing pains, but he finished on a high note.’’

JEREMY LAUZON

1-6-7 in 52 regular-season games

Leach: “Lauzie always competed, was always someone defensively who would settle things down. As the season went on he became more and more effective as a penalty killer. His offensive play will be something he’ll have to continue to work on. A lot of that comes with experience and playing. He missed over two months of the season with an injury. It will be nice to get another year under his belt, to consistently play, so that he can start to relax a little bit out there with the puck and make plays.

“He’s such a pro. He wants to do everything so well that sometimes he can get in his own way. Like most young players, it will take some time and experience. It’s just playing games. He’s always going to be a competitor. He’s always going to work his hardest. He’s always going to be a professional. It’s just a matter of when it starts to click. Relax, work smart and become a little bit more effective with the puck.”

CONNOR CLIFTON

4-9-13 in 54 regular-season games

“Cliffy drastically improved his game. He was always fun to watch, but there were moments in the beginning of the year when we had a hard time thinking he was going to be able to play for us just because he was so high-risk. His puck management was really poor.

“But he improved. Credit to him. He worked at it, to understand the concepts and the systems that we were trying to apply and then at the same time his puck management became a little bit more sound and he became an effective player.

“His playoffs were excellent. He’s a competitive little bastard to play against. (Lehigh Valley) knew when he was on the ice, they really did. He created some things offensively and was for the most part responsible defensively. He’s fun to watch. I’m sure most people would say that. He brings that element of energy and excitement to our guys that’s infectious.”

EMIL JOHANSSON

2-8-10 in 53 regular-season games

Leach: “Emmy struggled early on. There’s an adjustment to make coming from Sweden. From mid to late December on he got into a pretty good rhythm. Started to simplify the game, to use his skating in some parts of the game and for the most part was effective.

“We got to a point late in the season where he wasn’t in the lineup as much and I found he became a little more inconsistent. Some of that was maybe going in and out. That’s tough for a young player to do sometimes. Overall, it was a good year, a very important year for Emil to be able to play in North America, definitely a different game for him.

“I do think he found his game through all of it. As far as getting to the next level, being a smooth-skating defender who can make simple plays, shutdown plays – that’s obviously our goal moving forward. I’m sure he would have liked getting in more down the stretch, but overall it was a good year for him.

RYAN FITZGERALD

21-16-37 in 65 games

Leach: “Fitz had an excellent year. Production-wise, he had over 20 goals, found his home on the first line with (Austin) Czarnik and (Jordan) Szwarz. Dog on a bone with the puck. Competes. Early on, he had a couple of defensive holes that we had to shore up. He was quick to do so and proved to be a real reliable defensive player when needed. He provided a bunch of energy for his line and was able to finish. We’re excited to see where he’ll land in the next year or two.”

ZACH SENYSHYN

12-14-26 in 66 regular-season games

Leach: “I think Senny was caught off-guard at the pro game, just the way things are here. It’s a lot different from junior. The things you do in junior, you really can’t get away with here. It was an adjustment for him. As the year went on, used his great speed to be a responsible up-and-down winger. He did chip in offensively. He would probably say he didn’t love all his numbers, but it was a respectable start.

“The thing about him – and I said this to him – he is willing and able to do whatever he can to be effective. He has no pretenses about where he is on the depth chart and all that stuff. He just wants to get out there and play and help the team win and obviously become an effective player. He’s willing to do anything he can to do so.

“He’s in a great mindset. It was a real learning experience for him, but I think at the same time he learned a lot of different things that will allow him to transfer his game to the next level, whenever that might come.”

JAKOB FORSBACKA KARLSSON

15-17-32 in 58 regular-season games

Leach: “Production-wise, he was pretty good for his first year. He was injured in February and it did take a while for him to come back. Even when he was back, you go almost right  into the playoffs and it’s hard, especially for a younger guy. Clearly has an abundance of skill. Was able to play in all situations. Terrific on faceoffs.

“At times he was really producing offensively. At other times, he hit a dry spell. That’s probably what’s expected out of a first-year player playing in a really tough league as a centerman. It was a learning experience for him, for sure, like everybody. It will be exciting to see what he brings come fall with a year under his belt down here.”

It was fun while it lasted, but the season is over for the Providence Bruins. They lost both games of their best-of-five Calder Cup series at Lehigh Valley over the weekend – a 4-1 defeat on Friday and a 4-3 overtime heartbreaker on Saturday. The P-Bruins were without injured top 6 forwards Ryan Fitzgerald and Peter Cehlarik in the final game. The Phantoms took the series, 3 games to 1.

For the last time until October, here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

*** Austin Czarnik was the best player (goalies not included) on either team in the series. Dangerous nearly every time he touched the puck in the offensive zone, he scored a goal in each game and had a total of 9 shots.

*** The P-Bruins did a nice job clawing back from three goals down to force overtime on Saturday. A team with less character might have thrown in the towel, but that’s not who they are. They showed a lot of heart.

*** Tommy Cross was a rock at both ends. He assisted on the only goal on Friday, then scored late in the second period on Saturday, starting Providence’s comeback. He had a total of 11 shots in the two games.

*** I liked the way Cross and Jordan Szwarz got involved in the big scrum midway through the first period on Saturday night, even though they both had to sit for 10 minutes with misconducts. It started when 5-foot-9 Czarnik knocked down 6-foot-5 Phil Myers of the Phantoms.

*** Anton Blidh scored a goal on Saturday and never stopped working in both games.

*** Providence outshot Lehigh Valley, 46-14, over the final 58 minutes on Saturday.

*** In only his third pro game, Karson Kuhlman played well on Saturday, with an assist and four shots.

BAD

***  The P-Bruins didn’t get much from youngsters Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Zach Senyshyn. JFK had no shots on Friday and 1 shot on Saturday. Senyshyn did not have a shot in either game.

*** Paul Postma, Trent Frederic and Adam Payerl were on the ice for 3 goals against in Friday’s 4-1 loss.

*** Lehigh Valley’s second goal on Friday might have been kicked in, but that’s not a call that the road team can expect to get, especially in the playoffs.

*** The power play scored 1 time in 8 chances and gave up a shorthanded goal.

UGLY

*** Slow starts proved to be fatal. The P-Bruins were outshot 19-6 in the first period on Friday and 14-6 in the first period on Saturday.

*** Providence’s overall save percentage for the series was a hideous .875 percent, with Zane McIntyre at .895 and Jordan Binnington at .865.

*** The overtime winner by the Phantoms’ Max Lamarche on Saturday was a bad goal, plain and simple.

*** Injured: Ryan Fitzgerald (upper body); Peter Cehlarik (lower body).