Another leap year for Lucic?

He'd like to be top-six forward

MONCTON, New Brunswick - By all rights, Milan Lucic should be battling for an NHL job in this training camp. But the teenager blew the Bruins' bosses' doors off last fall, proving he was more valuable as an NHL rookie than captain of the Vancouver Giants.

So if the 2007-08 training camp was Lucic's proving ground to become a fourth-line pro instead of a junior star, then this year's preseason is his opportunity to show his employers he can make the next leap and become a top-six forward.

Last night against the Islanders, in the second game of the preseason, Lucic lined up next to Marc Savard and Michael Ryder on the No. 1 line and skated on the top power-play unit.

But make no mistake: He has no plans to alter his thump-first game.

"You're with a guy like Savvy who's creative and can make more plays," said Lucic. "But for me, I think I just have to keep it simple, play straight-line hockey, and do what I do that makes me successful.

"Maybe a couple times in the last couple practices I was getting a little too cute, but come game time, I don't think I'll try doing anything too cute."

Lucic's break-everything-in-sight style doesn't exactly qualify as cute. As a rookie, he logged 13 fights and recorded 181 hits, second on the team behind Zdeno Chara. Lucic showed some touch late in the season when he was elevated to a bigger role, but in general, his game is as hard as his fists.

"Just create room for those two and get into the corners," Lucic said of his job. "Just play my down-low game, be strong on the puck, move it to them, and get open to receive a pass, too. That's where I see myself."

Last night, Lucic and his linemates didn't have the debut they wanted. The Bruins dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to the Islanders, and the No. 1 line didn't generate much offense.

"I don't think they accomplished a ton tonight," said coach Claude Julien. "I can't say they had a great game because they didn't seem to click right away. It's their first game together and you've got to give them a chance to get used to each other in those game situations."

Job hunting

Vladimir Sobotka is no dummy.

He was one of the finds of 2007-08, appearing in 48 regular-season games as a first-year pro and scoring two goals during the first-round playoff series against Montreal. But the 21-year-old knows better than to think that an out-of-the-blue rookie season will guarantee him an NHL job.

The fight is on for employment, especially on the fourth line. Stephane Yelle has the inside track to serve as the center. Shawn Thornton should be the right wing and go-to tough guy. But there's significant competition among the left wings, with Peter Schaefer, Jeremy Reich, Petteri Nokelainen, and Brad Marchand all fighting with Sobotka for the opening.

On Monday, Sobotka threw down his challenge.

In an 8-3 preseason win over Montreal at the Halifax Metro Centre, Sobotka potted two goals while centering Marchand and Thornton. He killed penalties with Blake Wheeler. He buzzed around the rink, pasting Josh Gorges with a crunch the defenseman didn't appreciate.

Bottom line: Sobotka made it known that he's competing for an NHL paycheck.

"He was very involved," Julien said. "He was involved and very confident. Guys aren't stupid. They look around and see the stiff competition. Every year, guys have to come in and earn their spots.

"Vladdy was fortunate to come with us halfway through last year and stick. He had a great playoffs. I think his goal was to start off where he finished. He was even better than that [Monday night], contributing offensively as well. I think if we're going to score more goals this year, we can't just rely on our top lines to do that. It's got to be spread out through the roster."

One factor against Sobotka is that the feisty forward doesn't have to clear waivers to be assigned to Providence.

Looking forward

At this time last year, Schaefer was considered the No. 1 left wing, a solid running mate for Savard and Glen Murray.

But the ex-Senator tumbled down the depth chart, beset by injuries (foot, shin). For the first time since he played in Vancouver, Schaefer skated on the right wing. And for nine games, he was a healthy scratch.

"Can't have a great year every year," said Schaefer, who scored only nine goals, his fewest since 2002-03. "Just got to learn from it, work hard, have fun, and not worry about things you can't control."

Schaefer, on the books for a $2.1 million cap hit this year and next, skated on a line last night with Yelle and Nokelainen. He is at his best in the corners, where he can use his puck-protecting ability to grind along the wall, cycle, and draw hooking and holding penalties. In Game 3 of the playoffs last spring, with his team down by two games, Schaefer helped set up Savard's game-winner in overtime.

This season, Schaefer will have to push to put himself in a top-six role.

"Just going to have fun and play my game," Schaefer said. "Whatever happens after that is totally fine with me. I'm just going to do what I can do. That's all I can control. I've been the same for all my seasons, so it doesn't make sense to change my game now."

Rask up to the task

One bright spot in last night's loss was the 38-save performance of Tuukka Rask. The second-year pro looked sharp, especially when he stopped a third-period shorthanded breakaway by forward Sean Bergenheim. "He played very well and kept us in the game," Julien said. "It was nice to see him in action and show us the progression he's made."

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com