The Boston Bruins have sent Fabian Lysell to the AHL’s Providence Bruins after cutting 18 players from their training camp.
Lysell was one of the most exciting prospects at this year’s camp, hoping to prove his worth as a first-round pick from the 2021 NHL Draft. He is among 11 first-rounders still waiting for their NHL debut, alongside Fedor Svechkov and Sebastian Cossa who are also battling in their camps.
In recent seasons, Lysell has been a key player for Providence. After moving to the AHL in 2022-23 following stints in Sweden’s SHL and with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, he started strong with nine points in his first six games and 19 points in the first half of that season. His performance earned him a spot on Sweden’s World Juniors team, but he struggled there with no points and 29 penalty minutes over seven games . He then hit a slump back in Providence, scoring only 18 points in the final 34 games.
However, last season saw Lysell bounce back impressively. He scored consistently and ended up with 50 points in 56 games, an improvement from his rookie year where he had 37 points in 54 games. This resurgence seemed to set him up for an NHL debut this season. But instead of calling him up, Boston chose to keep tougher players like Mark Kastelic, Justin Brazeau, and John Beecher on their roster. The Bruins had an average number of penalty minutes last season (780 PIMs), tying with teams like the Rangers and Oilers. They were quickly knocked out by Florida Panthers in the second round of playoffs — maybe they think more physicality will change things this time around.
Future Prospects:
Fans might feel disappointed about Lysell not making it to the NHL yet . Still, this isn’t likely the last we’ll hear about him. Being one of just two first-round picks by Boston since 2020 means they have high hopes for him. Going back to minors could let him shine even brighter and maybe even challenge top scorers like Logan Stankoven and Cole Perfetti.
These three are smaller players who play bigger than their size suggests — Stankoven and Perfetti have already climbed up NHL ranks while Lysell is gearing up for his turn this year or could become an attractive trade option if Boston can’t find room for him.
What do you think about Lysell’s reassignment?
