Studenič is praised for his skating ability and effectiveness as a penalty killer.
New Jersey Devils fans were in for a treat on Sunday morning when it was revealed that prospect Marián Studenič was skating with the team at practice.
Not long after, it was announced that the 22-year-old Slovak would be making his NHL debut Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
‼️Marian Studenic will make his NHL debut tonight, he confirms.
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) April 11, 2021
A right winger, Studenič was selected by the Devils in the fifth round of the 2017 NHL draft. He’s been with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Devils, since the 2018-19 season.
The points haven’t been there for them, but what he’s done to get to this point has clearly impressed the big club. He’s shown potential as a goal-scorer, but hasn’t been consistent in that regard.
However, Studenič is fantastic skater who emerged as one of Binghamton’s top penalty killers. The Devils have improved while short-handed as the season progressed and Studenič will be expected to improve the penalty kill even more.
He’ll likely slot into the bottom-six.
Studenič is an intriguing prospect. After trading Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac to the New York Islanders, the Devils are now the youngest team in the NHL. They’re rebuilding and have already begun bringing many prospects into the fold.
Studenič isn’t a top prospect and the organization is obviously curious to see how and if he plays into their plans for the future. Will he be good enough to stick around? Or is he just going to take the place of someone better?
Regardless, fans will be excited to see yet another Devils prospect make his debut this season.
