It’s not often you find a fifth-round pick playing in the World Championship two years after his draft, but that’s exactly what Marian Studenic did last summer. The New Jersey Devils prospect suited up for Slovakia alongside and against NHL talents at the annual tournament and acquitted himself quite well. Five points in seven games tied him for fourth on the club, impressive given he had only played a single professional season to that point.
After another year with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils, Studenic was likely ticketed for training camp with the Devils to see if he could make an impression. Instead, thanks to the shifted hockey calendar, he has been loaned to HC Slovan Bratislava to play for the next few months. The 21-year old (22 in October) will be recalled for NHL training camp in November.
An interesting thing to keep an eye on with Studenic is that 2020-21 is the final year of his entry-level contract. He could potentially return to Europe next summer should he not want to stick around in the minor leagues. Still, he’s a name to remember for the Devils as they continue to try and build a program and compete at the NHL level. Their prospect cupboard is filled with players hoping to get a chance to show what they can do.