Early in the 2023-24 season, the Boston Bruins are getting some valuable contributions from two of their forward prospects, Matthew Poitras and John Beecher. After those two, there are some questions as to how the rest of the Black and Gold’s prospect pool shapes up.
In the latest edition of the Bruins Prospects Report, we will take a look at how some of the prospects are faring in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Providence Bruins and in the USHL.
Fabian Lysell
It’s been said before and it’s going to be said again, this is a big season for one of the Bruins’ top prospects, Fabian Lysell. In his first full pro season in 2022-23, the talented forward had 14 goals and 23 assists for Providence. The 21st overall pick in the 2021 Entry Draft, it is big that he takes the next step in his development in the AHL this season.
In 18 games, he has six goals and eight assists for Providence. In his one season with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2021-22, he had 22 goals and 40 assists in 53 games and had four goals and 17 assists in 12 postseason games.
The Bruins have some free agents next offseason and Lysell being able to make the jump to the NHL in 2024-25 is a must. His skill set is on display when he’s on the ice and his shot has improved in the AHL over the last two seasons. Taking the next step sooner rather than later is what Boston needs.
John Farinacci
One of the more pleasant surprises so far this season in Providence has been the play of John Farnacci, who signed a two-year entry-level deal in August. In three seasons at Harvard under former Bruin Ted Donato, the 22-year-old had 23 goals and 39 assists.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Bruins’ Up-and-Down November
In Providence, he leads them in points with 17 on six goals and 11 assists and the 6-foot-0, 185-pound center is not afraid to shoot with 35 shots landed on the net. He’s getting top-six minutes for P-Bruins coach Ryan Mougenel and plays in all situations.
Brett Harrison
One player who opened some eyes with his play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) last season was Brett Harrison after he had with the Oshawa Generals and Windsor Spitfires. In 67 games combined between the two teams in 2022-23, he had 34 goals and 35 assists, playing on a line with Seattle Kraken prospect Shane Wright with the Spitfires following a trade.
This season in his first full pro season, he has only played in 11 games, which has hampered his production with just two goals and two assists. Selected in the third round, 85th overall, in the 2021 Draft, there is no doubt that the London, Ontario native has an impressive skill-set and it feels like the Bruins got a very good bargain in drafting him where they did. The 20-year-old left-shot scored his first goal of the season in a 6-1 P-Bruins win over the Bridgeport Islanders on Dec. 1.
Hendrickson and Pelosi Producing in the USHL
At the 2023 Entry Draft, Bruins general manager (GM) Don Sweeney selected a need for his organization at the time, centers. He selected Poitras in the second round, 54th overall in 2022, and the 19-year-old is playing a big role for the 2023-24 Black and Gold. Two other centers selected a year later are having a strong start to their USHL season with the Sioux Falls Stampede (from ‘Bruins make five draft selections, pivot to immediate future, Boston Herald, June 29, 2023).
Christopher Pelosi and Beckett Hendrickson are second and third respectively in scoring for the Stampede. Hendrickson, who is 6-foot-2 and a left-shot, was picked in the fourth round and 124th overall by Sweeney. He has seven goals and 13 assists in 22 games.
Pelosi was selected in the third round, 92nd overall, and has 11 goals and 10 assists in 22 games for Sioux Falls. The 6-foot-1 left-shot is good around the net and is strong on the puck. Both Hendrickson and Pelosi had a goal in the Stampede’s 4-2 win over the Waterloo Black Hawks on Dec. 1, then had a hat trick on Dec. 2 against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in a 7-1 win.
Hendrickson has committed to the University of Minnesota to play his collegiate hockey and Pelosi has committed to Quinnipiac University, which won the NCAA Championship last spring. Both players are two big physical forwards that the Bruins like.
Again, the Bruins’ prospects pool is not one of the better ones in the NHL, but they have made some contributions this season in Boston from some of them and they will need some to develop like Lysell and Harrison. Hendrickson and Pelosi have had a good start with Sioux Falls and that’s a positive sign.