Every possibility needs to be considered. That much is becoming clear as the Bruins' top two right wings, David Pastrnak and Ondrej Kase, have now missed all three full-team practices this week while being deemed "unfit to participate" following their return to Boston from the Czech Republic.
Whatever those issues are -- and we don't really know thanks to the extremely limited amount of information the NHL is allowing teams to share -- it's possible they get cleared up in time for Friday's practice. Or they could linger into the weekend, or next week, or beyond.
We don't know, and it's possible the Bruins don't either. They initially thought every player who still needed clearance would get it in the first day or two of these return to play practices. Then they thought Thursday would be the day, especially after Pastrnak and Kase were able to get on the ice Wednesday, albeit without the full team present.
And yet, here we are. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy acknowledged Thursday that the team has to prepare and practice as if they don't have those guys, until they actually do.
With that in mind, it's worth taking note of who's skating where with Pastrnak and Kase out. The first day or two, you could maybe think guys were just being plugged in as placeholders. But not four days in.
Now this has to be viewed as Cassidy taking a real look at his options, which is why it was interesting to see top prospect Jack Studnicka skating on the right wing with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk Thursday.
Under perfect circumstances, the Bruins probably wouldn't be turning to Studnicka this postseason. Yes, the 21-year-old is coming off a very good first season as a pro with AHL Providence, where he led the first-place P-Bruins in scoring. But he's also played just two NHL games, and throwing him into a playoff series might be a lot to ask.
But these aren't perfect circumstances. There is always the possibility of injuries in the playoffs anyway, but now there is the added possibility of a positive test or symptoms or proximity to someone who tested positive forcing players off the ice and into quarantine.
If Pastrnak or Kase or any other Bruins regular winds up missing games for any of the reasons above, a lot is going to be asked of other players and they're going to have to be ready.
As far as the possibility of Pastrnak and Kase missing more time, the "safe" options to step in would probably be Anders Bjork and Karson Kuhlman, both of whom have played in the Bruins' top six before, and both of whom have also gotten practice reps there this week.
If just Kase were out, safe absolutely might be the way to go. But if Pastrnak, the team and league's leading scorer, were out, safe might not cut it. In that case, the Bruins might be looking for more offensive upside rather than just good two-way play.
Enter Studnicka. While he is a center by nature, he has played some wing and has said in the past that he's comfortable doing it.
"I think if an opportunity were to arise, I'd be fully comfortable hopping in there and contributing to winning," Studnicka said Wednesday. "Right now kind of just trying to put my head down and work as hard as I can and show the management that if an opportunity like that were to happen, that they should have confidence in me."
Studnicka hasn't played an NHL playoff game, but he also isn't a total stranger to all this. He was one of the Bruins' "Black Aces" last postseason, so he was around the team during its run to the Stanley Cup Final and got to see what it takes to make a run like that.
"Last year was a big kind of learning curve in my career, just to be able to see all of the effort that goes into going on a playoff run, to see the way you have to handle your body and be prepared and stay focused," Studnicka said. "So I saw it last year, with an unfortunate ending. Excited to be a part of it again obviously. Looking back, being able to watch those games live and being able to get on the ice with the guys sometimes was something I cherish. I definitely think I got better as a hockey player as that experience went on, so hopefully I have a similar experience."
His teammates and coaches in Providence certainly took notice of that improvement this year, but it seems even some of the Bruins who weren't with him all year have taken notice, with Charlie Coyle singing his praises Thursday.
"You can tell Jack's growing and growing," Coyle said. "He's getting more acclimated to the pro game. He's already done a great job down there, and I know he'll continue to do so. He's right there. He's a guy who's pushing the rest of us up here to play our best. He's up and coming. You can tell the skill he has. I think he has some filling out to do, as we all did when we were his age, but he's going to be a player. He already is.
"He's going to keep getting better and better and that's going to be huge for us. You can tell he's gaining confidence little by little, and that's going to help his game. And he works at it, too. He's not afraid to get his nose dirty and get in there. He's got a bright future. We're lucky to have a guy like him, especially down the middle."
The Bruins hope they don't need to call on Studnicka this postseason. They hope Pastrnak and Kase get cleared soon and quickly get up to speed. They hope everyone else stays healthy and they can keep their lineup intact throughout the playoffs.
But that just may not be possible, which is why Cassidy's message to everyone, including the Providence call-ups, is to be ready.
Studnicka says he is, and he may just end up getting a chance to show it.
Presented by:
