26.9: the Bruins average age in 2017-18. The Bruins ended up as the 12th youngest team a season ago. As the Bruins turn the page towards the 2018-19 season, the plan may be for an even younger squad inside TD Garden come October.

With the status of several free agents still pending, and a few more already told they wont be back, the Bruins will have a few open roster spots come training camp. With a weak free agent market this summer, the Bruins may be looking from within to fill some of their gaps.

Why not? It worked last season.

Rookies like Jake DeBrusk, Charlie McAvoy, Danton Heinen, and Matt Grezelcyk, among others, were key contributors to the Bruins success as they found their way to the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Seeing how well it did work, it sounds like the Bruins have no problem tryingtheir luck once again.

"From adding more younger players or continue to add younger players, the players themselves generally dictate whether or not they’re ready, and we will have other players that will want to knock on the door," general manager Don Sweeney said last month.

As open as the Bruins are to a young lineup, Sweeney also wants to make sure they come back and understand that spots are not given, they're earned.

"Whether or not they’re able to is no different than Jake [DeBrusk] this year. We told him the opportunity to make our hockey club would be there, but it wasn’t given to him. Ryan Donato, won’t be given to him. Anders Bjork, coming back healthy, won’t be given to him," added Sweeney. "They’ll determine where they play in Bruce’s lineup, and if they don’t, where they’ll play in Jay’s (Providence) lineup."

Trent Frederic, Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Zach Senyshyn, Jakub Zboril and Jack Studnicka are all young kids who will push for a spot on the Bruins opening night roster.

To me, Studnicka is the most intriguing option, and it sounds like he's already on Sweeney's radar for the coming season.

"That’s just the business, but we’re committed to them. They’ve all heard. The younger players in Providence and even a Jack Studnicka, they’ve all heard that if they’re good enough, they get an opportunity to play and develop."

Studnicka had a stellar year with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL where he had 72 points in 66 games. After his OHL season completed, the 19-year old joined the Providence Bruins and had five points in five games.

Frederic and Senyshyn are centers who you would think are ahead of Studnicka on the depth chart, but it sounds as if the Bruins see something special in their 2017 second round pick.

Development and training camp will be two important steps for Studnicka. At just 19, Studnicka still has time to grow and put on some more pounds, a must if he has any hope for cracking the Bruins roster at any point this season. Studnicka does carry unique speed and can often be found chasing down loose pucks.

He's a solid two-way center, one that can be relied upon in key faceoff situations, a benefit that head coach Bruce Cassidy looks for in his centermen.

With free agency ahead of the Bruins, as of now, it appears a center position will be open when training camp begins.

All signs point to Studnicka battling for that opening.

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