NHL training camps will begin in only a few weeks, with the start of the 2025-26 NHL season less than two months away. For the first time in a while, the Boston Bruins are not coming in with the highest of expectations and with more questions than they’ve had in recent seasons. But, this will make for a very interesting training camp as there are a lot of possible ways general manager (GM) Don Sweeney, head coach Marco Sturm, and the rest of the team’s management could take when shaping this roster.
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Amongst the forwards, the only line that really seems to be completely locked in right now is David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, and Elias Lindholm. Beyond that, anything could happen. On the blue line, Charlie McAvoy remains the number one, and an important boost will be coming in the return of Hampus Lindholm, but still, questions remain. Training camp will be the opportunity for many of the young guys to prove themselves, and chances for chemistry to start to develop between forward lines and defensive pairings.
It will be great to see the whole roster back on the ice again in the black and gold, but there are three players in particular that I think will be intriguing to watch at this season’s training camp and preseason.
Fabian Lysell
Fabian Lysell, the Bruins’ 2021 first-round pick, has not gotten a lot of opportunities at the NHL level yet. The 22-year-old made his professional hockey debut in the 2022-23 season, playing for the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL). There were some growing pains, but overall, he’s had a solid professional career so far. In 2023-24, he had 50 points in 56 games. Not the explosive goal-scorer that the team was hoping for, but a solid forward.
In a bit of a head-scratching move from Sweeney, Lysell did not make his NHL debut until last season, appearing in 12 games where he had a goal and three points, all of which came in the final four games of the season, indicating he was gaining some momentum and comfort at the NHL level.
This season is an important one for Lysell and the Bruins. The front office needs to give him legitimate minutes and opportunities to build on the momentum he started at the end of last season. If not, it may be time to consider a trade. The team would want to trade him while he still has value as a first-round selection, and Lysell may need a change of scenery to unlock his full potential.
Training camp will be the first opportunity to get a sense of where things may be heading for Lysell this season. Will he be able to prove himself and earn a roster spot to start the season? If he heads down to the AHL, how long will he stay there before being brought up? Will he end up getting traded by Jan. 1? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Fraser Minten
Fraser Minten is a really intriguing prospect, and there is a very real possibility that in a few years, he’ll be looked back on as the best acquisition the Bruins made at the 2025 Trade Deadline. He arrived in Boston as part of the Brandon Carlo trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 21-year-old was a second-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft and made his NHL debut in the 2023-24 season, appearing in four games before returning to juniors. He spent last season primarily in the AHL, but appeared in 21 NHL games, including six for the Bruins where he registered a goal. In 11 games in Providence, he had three goals and seven points.
There is a high ceiling for Minten, who looks like he has the potential to be a top two-way center in the NHL. In a limited capacity last season, he demonstrated comfort in the Bruins’ system, and with all the roster uncertainty, there is absolutely a chance that he could be on the opening night roster. It will all come down to what he does at training camp to see whether or not he is ready for a full-time NHL role.
Hampus Lindholm
As mentioned already, Lindholm will be returning to the ice after missing the majority of last season after fracturing his kneecap in November. Prior to his injury, he was arguably playing the best out of all defensemen on the roster at the time, putting up seven points and 17 blocked shots in 17 games.
Now that he’s healthy again and returning to the ice, it will be very interesting to see how much of a difference his presence will be. The blue line was rough in 2024-25 with numerous mistakes in their own zone that led to turnovers and goals by opponents. Is Lindholm the missing piece to get the defense back up to par?
It’ll be great to see him healthy and back on the ice again this September, and it will be the first opportunity to see how much of a boost Lindholm will be able to bring to the blue line. Sweeney did not add any big pieces on defense this offseason, so he’s putting a lot of expectation on the 31-year-old Swede to be the solution to last season’s issues.
2025-26 Around the Corner
The 2025-26 season is almost here, with the Bruins’ prospects set to take the ice for the first time on Sept. 12 as part of the prospects challenge. The start of training camp will follow shortly after that, and the first game of the preseason will be Sept. 21 against the Washington Capitals.
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After a disappointing 2024-25 season and many changes being made to the roster, there is a lot of uncertainty with the Bruins going into the 2025-26 season. There is a world where they bounce back and are back in playoff contention, and there is a very real chance that this season is a continuation of the downward trends shown last season. We’ll find out when the season starts Oct. 8.
