Fabian Lysell may be forcing the Boston Bruins’ hand. The young, dynamic forward has hovered on the fringe of the NHL for a few years, but with the way he’s playing in the AHL this season, it feels like only a matter of time before he earns his way into the NHL lineup.
At 22 years old, Lysell still has plenty of time to prove he was worth the Bruins’ first-round pick in 2021. He was considered a steal at the time and the Bruins still believe he can be an impact player in the long term. The problem is that without giving him meaningful NHL looks in the short term, it’s hard to trust that long-term projection will ever materialize.
Last season was a step forward. Lysell played in 12 games to showcase his abilities and scored one goal and three points. It’s not a top-six breakout, but it’s also tough to judge the numbers when he averaged just 13:27 per game and wasn’t used in a way that highlighted his strengths. The NHL isn’t a league for handouts and no player should be gifted a roster spot because of their draft pedigree or AHL production alone. At the same time, expecting a skill-based winger to suddenly thrive in a depth role they’re not built for isn’t an accurate way to evaluate talent.
If the Bruins want an honest look at what Lysell can give them, they need to let him play on his natural wing alongside some of their more talented forwards. It certainly won’t guarantee production, but it will at the very least provide some clarity. The longer the Bruins wait, the more complicated things become.
With a number of young forwards set to join the fold in the coming seasons, the waters will only get muddier. This doesn’t even take into account the very real possibility of Lysell growing frustrated with the situation and either losing some fire or even requesting a divorce from the team. This isn’t to suggest that Lysell is even close to either of those things happening, but it’s something the Bruins must be mindful of all the same.
Injuries Opening the Door for Lysell
Complicating things further is the Bruins’ injury situation. They’ve admittedly given some of their younger players a chance to showcase their abilities this season. Fraser Minten earned a roster spot out of training camp and hasn’t looked back. Alex Steeves has played in nine games for the Bruins in the NHL this season and has scored three goals and four points. Matej Blumel skated in four NHL games this season before suffering an injury and landing on the long-term injured reserve. Georgii Merkulov just earned his first call-up of the season and started in a top-six spot for the Bruins in his first game. There have been opportunities for some of the Bruins youth and now is as good a time as any to let Lysell and eventually Matt Poitras throw their hat into the ring.
As deserving as Merkulov has been over the past few seasons, it was an interesting decision for the Bruins to call him up to the NHL to play on the right wing when he’s a natural left-shot forward. Lysell, on the other hand (quite literally) is a natural right-shot winger who would have made a lot of sense in the role. Still, Merkulov getting a look, even if it was forced due to the numerous injuries the Bruins are experiencing right now, is a positive. His 10:35 of ice time against the New York Rangers was less than encouraging, though.
This season, Lysell has scored eight goals and 14 points in 14 games for the Providence Bruins, most recently scoring two goals for the team against the Toronto Marlies. He’s played a dynamic, borderline electric game in the AHL this season and it’s very clear that he’s capable of playing in the NHL.
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It’s only a matter of time before Lysell gets his opportunity. Once he does, though, he’ll have to make the most of it. Teams historically put a lot of emphasis on performance by American Thanksgiving due to the historical data suggesting its significance for the playoff race. A 14-11-0 record and top-three spot in the Atlantic Division point to the Bruins not having the luxury of focusing too heavily on development over production. Lysell will need to hit the ground running when his name is eventually called.
