The Bruins entered the season without a clear cut third-line center after losing the cheap, versatile Nash to the Columbus Blue Jackets on a three-year, $8.25m deal they couldn’t afford.
Perhaps the most intriguing story of the preseason was the open competition amongst prospects auditioning to take that open spot. Would two-way man Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson take the next step on his trajectory to the NHL? Would the rough-and-tumble Trent Frederic force Don Sweeney’s hand? Or would young Jack Studnicka show too much talent to pass up?
Ultimately, the Bruins management (and most folks who payed attention) agreed that the answer to all those questions was an anticlimactic “No.