The Boston Bruins have three games remaining in their 2024 preseason, and their opening night roster is starting to take shape. The team made a round of cuts on Sunday ahead of training camp, including some surprises. Let’s take a look at the winners and losers from the first half of the Bruins preseason.
Winner: Joonas Korpisalo
The Bruins must find a way to sign Jeremy Swayman. That should be their one and only top priority ahead of the 2024-25 season. That said, the prospect of him missing the start of the season looks a little less gloomy after the positive play the team has received from Joonas Korpisalo in his first few appearances in the black and gold. He stopped all seven shots that he saw against the Washington Capitals in his first appearance then went on to save 37 of the 40 shots he faced in the Bruins matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Related: Getting to Know New Boston Bruin Joonas Korpisalo
Korpisalo has exhibited inconsistent play at times in his career, so to get off to a good start on his new team is an encouraging sign, even though it is still the preseason. With each passing day, it looks more and more likely that he may be the starter on opening night, making him a player that fans should keep a close eye on over the Bruins’ last three preseason games.
Loser: Fabian Lysell
Fabian Lysell was the name on the Bruins’ roster highlighted the most by fans and analysts alike as someone to keep an eye on during the preseason. It was thought that he was going to have an opportunity to play himself into a role in the team’s top-six forward group. It appears that they have other plans for him at the moment, as they sent him down to Providence to start the campaign. After a lackluster performance in the Bruins’ first preseason game, Lysell seemed to get his feet under him, which makes this move feel a bit bizarre. He scored a power play goal against the Capitals, however, it seemed that the Bruins did not give him a legitimate extended opportunity to play with top-six NHL talent.
This move will come as a disappointment to many Bruins fans who have been waiting to see Lysell get his shot at the NHL since the team drafted him in the first round in 2021. He has proven himself as a star in the American Hockey League (AHL), and it does not feel like he has more to show at that level. It will not come as a surprise if he is called up early in the 2024-25 season, however, the move goes against what the conventional belief was on Lysell heading into camp. The youngster is under contract for one more season after this, though it felt like this camp was his big opportunity to prove that he belongs in the NHL. His best shot at earning a spot on the Bruins roster before the end of the season is to have a strong start in Providence and play his way up to the roster spot that he likely believes he has already earned.
Winner and Loser
The Bruins have a few clear winners and a few clear losers of the preseason thus far. Korpisalo has played very solidly in his time in net, and as of right now, he has lined himself up to be the opening night starter as long as Swayman and the Bruins are yet to reach an agreement. Lysell had high hopes entering camp, and though he scored a goal against the Capitals, he did not show enough to earn a spot on the NHL roster to start the season.
