For some players, the preseason is much ado about nothing, and is just about getting game reps before the regular season begins. In other players’ cases, the preseason is about their battle to make it back to the NHL or, in some cases, make it for the first time ever.
For Boston Bruins‘ top prospect Fabian Lysell, for the first time since being drafted in 2021, he finally has a shot at the latter.
Going into the preseason, the Bruins had a few vacant spots on the wings left by Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, and Jakub Lauko, who either left in free agency or were traded in the offseason. Lysell could easily be a fit at any one of those three spots.
Two of the vacant winger spots will be taken by Max Jones and Riley Tufte, who were signed to a two-year and a one-year deal in the offseason, respectively. This leaves the third spot to either be taken by other offseason signings or by Lysell himself who, in this writer’s eyes, has earned it.
Lysell’s Second Preseason Game Makes Statement
Through two preseason games, Lysell’s statistics won’t pop off the page and hand him a spot. However, his second game in the preseason should definitely open some eyes and give Boston general manager Don Sweeney something to think about as the preseason wears on.
In the Bruins’ second preseason game against the Washington Capitals, Lysell scored the Bruins’ second goal of the game, putting them up 2-0 at the time, and was named the game’s second star. Fellow Boston forward Georgii Merkulov and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo were named the games third star and first star, respectively, but to be named the second star is something Lysell should be proud of.
Now, it wasn’t just the goal itself that made Lysell’s game shine on Tuesday night, but also the timing of his goal. Yes, it was early on in the second period, which itself is great, but that’s not the point of emphasis here. What the point of emphasis is, however, is that it came right at the end of the power play.
In the 2023-24 season, Boston’s power play ranked 14th in the NHL. 14th is by no stretch of the imagination a bad placement, but in order to succeed, especially in the Eastern Conference, it is paramount to have a power play that can be counted on.
Lysell also turned some heads in Tuesday night’s game with his ability to stay on the ice for long periods of time, especially on the man advantage. He led Bruins’ forwards in power play time-on-ice with 4:04, was second in number of shifts to Tufte with 21, and was a mere 11 seconds behind Tufte with 17:35 of total ice time.
With these numbers, Lysell is looking to show Boston management that he is healthy and ready to go for the season. Not only that, but he can also take on roles he did not see himself in in years past.
Lysell is skating on thin ice (pun intended) and consistency is going to be key if he wants to remain off the trade block and make the NHL roster to start the season. However, that’s enough trade block talk as there are positives to take away from his play so far. However, it is far too early in the preseason to tell anything for sure, as Boston has only played two games so far.
Now, if Lysell regresses towards the end of the preseason — or if he even just stays at the same level of production — it may be time for Sweeney to have another conversation. At this point, though, Lysell will likely take part in every preseason game, barring injury, and be re-evaluated at the conclusion of the preseason regarding where he needs to be placed.
What Exactly Are the Bruins Looking For Out of Lysell?
It’s hard to know exactly what the Bruins are expecting Lysell to be, but so far, he is making it known that he at the very least wants to stay at the NHL level.
Boston does have the aforementioned Tufte and Jones to fill to two of the three open wing spots, but the catch with them is that they are both left-handed shots and that is something that can play to Lysell’s advantage, especially if he continues to play well throughout the preseason.
Boston is likely looking for Lysell to have two things going for him going into the season: the first is that he is healthy, and the second is that he is playing at, not quite an elite, but at the very least, a high level.
So far Lysell looks healthy, and, on top of that, willing to get to the dirty areas, a large change from last preseason. He is also playing at a high level, scoring in just the second preseason game, something he was unable to do at all during last preseason.
Lysell doesn’t look perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but he does look improved so far. Right now it’s up to him to show he is NHL ready.
The Bruins are back at it on Thursday, Sept. 26 when they take on the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m.
