Jack Studnicka has a chance to revitalize his NHL career with the San Jose Sharks.

Jack Studnicka has a chance to revitalize his NHL career with the San Jose Sharks.

The 24-year-old forward is set to make his Sharks debut against the Colorado Avalanche tonight. He is slated to center a line with Mike Hoffman and Luke Kunin. 

Studnicka joined San Jose in Arizona and skated with his new teammates for the first time yesterday.

"It was great. It was a short one, but it was nice to get out there and snap the puck around," Studnicka said. "Learn some tendencies with potential linemates, and I'm excited for tonight."

The young forward joins a San Jose team that is on an upswing. San Jose's record in the last ten games is 6-3-1.

"Originally, I was pretty shocked. It kind of caught me off guard, but once it settled in, I couldn't be more excited," Studnicka said. "[The] team seems to be heading in the right direction. So [I'm] happy to jump on board here.

Sharks coach David Quinn told the media today that the organization has had their eye on the centerman for quite some time. 

"This is a guy that was highly thought of in the Boston Bruins organization. He was a high second-round pick who's got talent and skill," Quinn said. "Sometimes it takes a second or third stop before you really become the player you're capable of being. We thought this was an opportunity for him that he hadn't had before."

Quinn is familiar with this type of opportunity. During his time as the head coach of the New York Rangers, the team acquired Ryan Strome from the Edmonton Oilers. 

Strome was headed to his third team after the New York Islanders drafted him No. 5 overall in 2011. During the 2018-19 season, Strome had two points in 18 games with Edmonton. Once moved to the Rangers, Strome had 33 points in 68 games.

In his first full season with the Rangers, Strome had a career-high 59 points (18 goals, 41 assists) in 70 games.

"The support and communication has been really good so far," Studnicka said about his new coaching staff. "There were some days where it's tough to keep going, but you just have to remember that there are people out there watching, and I'm glad that they've given me an opportunity here."

The Vancouver Canucks put Studnicka on waivers in early November, but he went unclaimed. He now joins the Sharks as a highly motivated NHL player.

"[I'm] extremely motivated," Studnicka said. "It was a tough experience to clear [waivers] there, but [I want to] continue to try to prove people wrong and hopefully prove the Sharks right."

Studnicka's role should grow as he gets more familiar with how the Sharks play their style of hockey.

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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