Nearly two months into their respective seasons, some of the Boston Bruins prospects are off to good starts with their teams. This season in Boston so far, Matthew Poitras, John Beecher and Mason Lohrei have made huge contributions for second-year coach Jim Montgomery.
Other prospects with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) are off to good starts and some, like Lohrei was, are an injury away from being up in the NHL. In the latest edition of the Bruins Prospects Report, it’s time to check in on some of the Black and Gold’s prospects in different leagues.
Fabian Lysell & Brandon Bussi Playing Well in Providence
In 14 games this season for Providence, Fabian Lysell has four goals and eight assists, but he did not play in a 3-1 loss to the Bridgeport Islanders on Nov. 19 as he is day-to-day with an injury. His development this season is necessary for him to take the next step as soon as next season in the NHL in Boston.
Goaltender Brandon Bussi, signed as a free agent out of Western Michigan University in March of 2022 and re-signed with the Bruins last summer, is again playing well for the P-Bruins. He’s just 4-4-2, but he has a 2.81 goals-against average (GAA) and a .910 save percentage (SV%). He has looked good despite his record and is ready to get called up to Boston should Jeremy Swayman or Linus Ullmark go down with an injury.
One player that has impressed so far this season in Providence is John Farinacci, who was signed in August after an impressive 2022-23 season for the Crimson, coached by former Bruin Ted Donato. Last season, Farinacci had five goals and 15 assists for Donato and 23 goals and 36 assists in 78 collegiate games. He has five goals and seven assists for Providence in 15 games and he scored the only goal in the loss to Bridgeport. He is a good skater and has good hands and is an interesting option in the Black and Gold’s system.
Oskar Jellvik & Philip Svedebáck Playing Well in Hockey East
A pair of Bruins prospects are off to good starts with their respective Hockey East schools. At Boston College, Oskar Jellvik had six goals and five assists in 11 games for the Eagles, but it’s the next step that the sophomore is taking that is impressive. He had a goal and two assists in a weekend sweep of the University of Connecticut on Nov. 17 and 18. As a freshman, he had four goals and 11 assists and he’s well on his way to passing both of those numbers in 2023-24.
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Selected in the fifth round of the 2021 Entry Draft, Jellvik has found a home in the top six for Greg Brown on the second line and making plays with his vision on the ice and his quick accurate shot. His right wing on the the second line is fellow Bruins prospect Andre Gasseau who has four goals and seven points.
At Providence College, the Friars are off to an 8-3-2 start and a lot of that has to do with goalie Philip Svedebáck. The Bruins selected him in the fourth round of the 2021 Draft and he has a 1.86 GAA and a .917 SV%. If there is one position that there is some promise for Boston’s prospects, it’s in goal. Riley Duran, a sixth-round pick in the 2020 Draft for the Black and Gold, has four goals and six points for the Friars.
That wraps up the latest edition of the Bruins Prospects Report for The Hockey Writers. Lysell and Bussi are playing well for the P-Bruins, while Jellvik and Svedebáck are playing well for their college program. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Boston College and Providence in the NCAA Tournament in March and if they are, both Jellvik and Svedebáck will play a big part in their team’s success.
