With preseason underway and the regular season being eight days away, teams are beginning to finalize their rosters. For the Boston Bruins, they’ve managed to make their first round of cuts. You’ll see the typical players that were more than likely to begin the season with the Providence Bruins. It allows them to continue to grow their games and develop further for their careers. However, two of the first set of cuts were a bit shocking with one being more puzzling.
Lysell Among Roster Cuts
This is puzzling. All bets were for Fabian Lysell to graduate from the Providence Bruins to the big league level. With the vacant spot left behind by Jake DeBrusk (who signed with the Vancouver Canucks in free agency), the opportunity was there for the taking. Back on July 1, 2024, general manager Don Sweeney made it crystal clear that there would not be many additions because he would like to see a younger player take that position.
That makes this decision much more puzzling. Also, forward Georgii Merkulov was one of the other roster cuts. So both players that Sweeney talked about seizing a bigger role were left off the roster. If there was ever a time to give a younger guy a hard look, it was this 2024-25 season. There was plenty of buzz around Lysell, who had two strong seasons in a row in the American Hockey League. However, for whatever reason, the Bruins decided to cut him from the roster and he will head back to Providence.
What to Make of Lysell’s Preseason
Lysell played three preseason games and mustered up 49:03 of total time on ice. Also, he scored just one goal and that was all he finished with production-wise.
One thing Lysell did do was impact the game during five-on-five play. When he was on the ice the Bruins controlled the puck. They finished with a Corsi for percentage (CF%) of 54.41 and outshot the opposition 19-14. It was a dominant showing in the expected goals share, with the Bruins paving the way 2.08-1.08. There is no denying that his offensive impacts are there.
Lysell looked out of place in the first game of the preseason and was not noticeable when on the ice. It happens and you are just finding your groove getting into game action. He was able to find the back of the net in the second game, showcasing how lethal his shot can be. The third game was not poor on his part, but not enough to keep him on the roster.
Unfortunately, Lysell did not make the cut. However, he is only 21 years old and that does not mean we’ve seen the last of him. During the 2023-24 season, defenseman Mason Lohrei was recalled on separate occasions, as he spent time between both Providence and Boston. So with Lysell being cut, what’s the plan now?
The Bruins Plan for Right Wing
The Bruins’ captain had a very strong quote that speaks volumes. When talking about the right wing position Brad Marchand went on to say, “Pretty good is not going to cut it” (from ‘Bruins preseason depth chart 2.0: Brad Marchand makes his feelings clear,’ The Athletic, Sept. 27, 2024). Those are strong words coming from him, especially when you think about how he climbed the ranks to get to where he is today as a player. With Lysell and Merkulov no longer being options for the team, let’s take a sneak peek at what the club could do at the position.
Based on the lineup projections at practice, the Bruins have center/winger Morgan Geekie slotted next to Charlie Coyle and Marchand. Geekie is coming off his best season, scoring 17 goals and 39 points. Also, he scored well above his expected rate, which is a good sign from an offensive standpoint. One thing is for certain, Geekie would complement this line in a good way. He plays a strong two-way game, is willing to go into the corners to dig out pucks, and can cause chaos in the high-danger areas. Also, this is a player that Marchand has high praise for.
“I love playing with Geeks. He’s so great in some of the different areas, the way he can hold onto pucks and makes plays. Shoots it. Great in the corners. I think he really complements our line as well. We haven’t had a ton of reps together, so we’ll continue to work on it. But I’ve always really liked his game.”
Geekie has shown to be a key component in the Bruins forward group and will get a stronger opportunity than last season. For the last two seasons, the Bruins have had only one player score 30-plus goals (David Pastrnak). They need that extra layer of scoring in the worst way and it’ll be up to Geekie to carry that load.
No Lysell Isn’t the End of the World
It is truly a bummer that Lysell got cut. He was a player that was poised to make the roster and would’ve fit like a glove as a middle-six winger. However, even though he got cut that doesn’t mean he won’t be back. Extra seasoning with the Providence Bruins could do him some good and he can be called up if need be. All eyes will be on who will shoulder the second-line right wing workload and how it plays out to begin the 2024-25 season.
