Fabian Lysell sees a great opportunity for himself with the Boston Bruins this season.
With Brad Marchand Expected to be out until at least November while recovering from surgery he had on both hips on May 27, Lysell, a 19-year-old forward, believes he can play in the top nine when Boston opens its regular season at the Washington Capitals on Oct. 12.
“I feel like last year was good both on the ice, but especially off the ice, with maturing and all that,” Lysell said during the NHLPA Rookie Showcase in September. “I felt like I’ve had a good summer, and I feel like the games at the World Juniors … I feel like I had a pretty good consistency throughout the whole tournament.”
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Lysell said it’s an advantage that he entered training camp after the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship in August, when he had six points (two goals, four assists) in seven games to help Sweden win the bronze medal. He scored the first goal in a 3-1 win against Czechia in the third-place game.
“To get into game situations right off the top during the summer, it’s a good thing,” he said. “I feel like I have the kind of tempo, so I hope to just continue with that.”
Lysell skated at right wing with center Patrice Bergeron and left wing Pavel Zacha on the first day of camp, and in the first preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sept. 24, he played on the first power play and was on the ice in the final minute of the game, when the Bruins were pushing for the tying goal in a 2-1 loss.
“It’s been good,” Bergeron said of Lysell. “Definitely a great talent, lot of speed. Smart player. It’s good to have a chance to be with him on the ice and get to know him.”
The coaching staff has also been impressed.
“He’s dynamic in how he attacks people’s feet,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “He makes defensemen face him. A good offensive player will manipulate defensemen’s feet, and he understands how to do that already, so he’s going to make plays.”
Lysell learned some of that aggressiveness playing for Vancouver in the Western Hockey League. After being selected by the Bruins in the first round (No. 21) of the 2021 NHL Draft, he led the Giants with 62 points (22 goals, 40 assists) in 53 games last season, and his 21 points (four goals, 17 assists) in 12 playoff games were second on the team.
More importantly, the native of Gothenburg, Sweden, learned how to thrive on and off the ice in his first season in North America.
“It was a big adjustment,” Lysell said. “I didn’t think it was going to be that different. But on the ice, it’s a little bit more physical, it’s more straightforward to the net, it’s smaller so you don’t have that kind of time against the boards. It’s more like get the pucks on the net and work from there.
“Then off the ice, it’s a different culture, different language. Within a hockey team I feel like it’s a bit different, too, so all those kinds of things kind of went into that. But as the year went on, I felt like I progressed, and I got more used to it.”
Lysell (5-foot-11, 176 pounds) said he wanted to get bigger and stronger during the offseason, and he ultimately added 10 pounds, an unexpected growth spurt that left him a bit taller.
“I’ve actually grown like four centimeters (about 1.5 inches),” he said. “I didn’t expect that at all. … I don’t know where that came from. During the summer I was just like, I felt like I’ve grown a bit. And then I measured my height, and I was just like, yeah.”
Now, he’s getting the chance to show those gains in size and experience with the Bruins.
And although Boston has experienced options who could step into a larger role with Marchand out, among them Nick Foligno, Craig Smith and Trent FredericMontgomery said he’s hoping Lysell can force the coaches to make some hard decisions when it comes to setting the opening-night roster.
“I think we’re looking for everybody to make it hard, but, yeah, him in particular would be nice,” Montgomery said. “I think if you look at all teams, you know you want to have a veteran presence and great leaders, like we have. But I think anytime you bring youth into the lineup, and especially the dressing room, it makes everybody else have more energy.”
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