Czarnik has been upwards of a point-per-game player in the AHL over the past three years, but he hasn't been able to come close to matching that production in his rare opportunities at the NHL level. He managed just three goals and five points in 29 top-level games a season ago, this on the heels of a season split between the Islanders and Seattle in which Czarnik posted two goals and seven points in 17 NHL contests. Now 30 years of age, he figures to open the 2023-24 campingn with AHL Grand Rapids while earning multiple recalls to the big club over the course of the season.
In what was his first full NHL season, Czarnik registered six goals and 18 points over 54 games with the Flames in 2018-19. He was limited to 11:20 of ice time per game as a fourth-line winger, but managed to convert on 9.2 percent of his 65 shots on goal. Czarnik was a near point-per-game player with AHL Providence in parts of four seasons, but he'll be hard pressed to break out of the Flames' bottom-six in 2019-20. He should, however, have a more consistent role in the lineup this campaign after racking up 12 points in 25 games down the stretch last season. The 5-foot-9 forward will likely produce 25-to-30 points this campaign, but he won't be worth a roster spot in the vast majority of fantasy leagues due to his lack of production in non-scoring categories.
Czarnik only appeared in 10 games for the Bruins last season, spending the bulk of his time with AHL Providence, where he notched 25 goals and a team-high 69 points in 64 contests. In 2016-17, Czarnik saw action in 49 games for the big club -- logging five goals and 13 points -- but the University of Miami (Ohio) product saw his window of opportunity with Boston effectively shut in tandem with the organization's influx of young(er) talent last year. Calgary may have landed a hidden gem here, however. The 25-year-old brings speed, energy and puck smarts to the table, but at 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, his ability to withstand the physical rigors of the NHL game will determine whether he'll be able to fully take advantage of his change of scenery.
Czarnik brings speed, energy and puck smarts to the table, but at 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, he’s one of the league’s smaller players, and his five goals and 13 points over 49 games last season were a disappointment after he made Boston’s Opening Night roster. The University of Miami (Ohio) product has been a noteworthy scorer at the AHL level, though, so if he proves better able to withstand the physical rigors of the NHL game, he could improve his production significantly. he'll look to stick with Boston out of training camp, but Czarnik will have plenty of competition on that front, as the organization’s next wave of forward talent is knocking on the door.
Listed at 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, Czarnik's biggest challenge as a pro will be proving that he can withstand the physical rigors of the NHL. In his first full AHL season after completing a four-year stint at Miami University (Ohio), Czarnik played in 68 regular season games for Providence in the 2015-16 season, notching 20 goals and 61 points. While the skilled pivot deosn't have a clear path to NHL playing time this comimg season at first glance, his emergence could potentially make Ryan Spooner expendable enough for Boston to consider dealing him away for needed blue line help.
