27 Austin Czarnik LW

Flames' Austin Czarnik: Drops from lineup

Czarnik has been a healthy scratch often this year and has four points in 17 games. His spot on the third line will be filled by Andrew Mangiapane, who is making his season debut.

Flames' Austin Czarnik: Seeing minimal action

Against San Jose on Sunday, Czarnik logged a season-low 6:41 of ice time in which he tallied two shots and one block. The center has spent two stretches serving as a healthy scratch for a total of seven games and has registered a mere four points when in the lineup. Dillon Dube's (concussion) potential return from injury could once again relegate Czarnik to the press box.

Flames' Austin Czarnik: Wows with hat trick

What could be more impressive than a hat trick for the ex-Bruin? Well, Czarnik delivered all three goals by the start of the third period. The Flames signed him to a two-year deal this summer, and it's of the one-way variety, meaning the Miami University (Ohio) product is likely to emerge as a full-timer at the top level this season. He can still be assigned to the minors, but Calgary would need to waive him first.

Flames' Austin Czarnik: Inks new deal

Czarnik only appeared in 10 games for the Bruins last season, instead spending the bulk of his time in the minors. With AHL Providence, he notched 25 goals and 69 points in 64 contests. Without a clear path to playing time in Boston's deep lineup, the Detroit native will move west for a chance to make a bigger impact at the next level. The 25-year-old brings speed, energy and puck smarts to the table, but at 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, Czarnik's ability to withstand the physical rigors will determine whether or not his offensive upside can be tapped in the NHL.

Bruins' Austin Czarnik: Collects four assists in 2017-18

In his second professional season, Czarnik saw his playing time drop from 13:01 to 10:55, and his games played plummeted from 49 a season ago to 10 in 2017-18. However, one thing that stayed the same was the Michigan native's production in the minors -- he impressively put up over a point per game with AHL Providence, throwing up 69 points (25 goals, 44 assists) in 64 games and showing that he has little left to prove at the lower level. Since Czarnik is set to become a free agent, he could very well find another home and look to secure a spot on a bottom-six forward group somewhere in the NHL.