Bruins prospect Fabian Lysell rides pro hockey’s up-and-down wave
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — On Jan. 26, Fabian Lysell practiced at Amica Mutual Pavilion. The right wing felt better than he had previously.
“I’ve had a little bit now where I maybe haven’t felt the best within my body,” Lysell said after practice. “I’m really trying to work through it. But it’s challenging. It’s all the aspects — nutrition, sleep. You’re trying to work on everything to set a routine that’s going to work for you and you stick to. So if you lag one day, the whole week is pretty much going to affect that.”
But Lysell felt poorly enough that Providence held him out for the entire three-in-three following the practice: Hartford, Utica, Syracuse.
“I don’t know,” Lysell said when asked about his condition. “I’m trying to find improvements within my routine. Hopefully it’s nothing going on within my body. I felt pretty good out there today, so maybe that’s a good start. I’ve been feeling a little bit gassed off for a couple weeks now. Hopefully I’m working myself back.”
Lysell, who turned 20 on Jan. 19, is an AHL rookie. This is his first full pro season playing with and against men. At 5 feet 10 and 175 pounds, the 2020 first-rounder has yet to optimize physically for the AHL badlands.
Patience is the organizational keyword with the Bruins’ top prospect. The three-game sitdown is proof of that.
Junior disappointment
On Dec. 16, 2022, Lysell scored a goal and an assist in Providence’s 5-4 overtime loss to Lehigh Valley. The teenager then said goodbye to his club team and reported to Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the 2023 World Junior Championship.
In the 2022 tournament, held last August after the first attempt was postponed, Lysell finished second on the Team Sweden roster with two goals and four assists. It came after his first and only WHL season. He scored a team-leading 62 points in 53 games for Vancouver.
This time, after a 19-point run in 20 games for Providence, Lysell expected to apply his pro experience to his age group.
That didn’t happen.
Lysell didn’t score a single point in seven games. In the bronze medal game against the U.S., Lysell was called for an illegal check to the head 29 seconds into his first and only shift.
“Maybe I wasn’t really there mentally,” Lysell said of world juniors. “It’s been a lot of different traveling, switching teams and all that. So maybe I wasn’t mentally there. But that’s also a learning experience to be able to switch environments and levels and still be able to perform and play your game. It’s a good learning experience. It was good seeing everybody, even though I obviously wasn’t happy about that performance.”
It may be the only blemish in a good 2022-23 season. Lysell’s offensive flash and dash has opened eyes.
“One, he’s a fantastic kid,” said Providence coach Ryan Mougenel. “He’s got an amazing energy. Super well-liked by his teammates. His ability and skill are obviously very visible. He’s a young pro now that has to get stronger, has to recognize different areas of the ice and value those areas. The offensive zone’s great and you’re awesome in it. But at the next level, you have to be pretty, pretty elite to not be as efficient in some of those areas.”
Like many offensive dynamos, Lysell’s room for improvement comes away from the puck. Such growth is not instant. Mougenel correctly estimated that David Pastrnak had defensive limitations when he first played North American hockey. Defensive awareness, strength on the puck and wall work took Pastrnak years to master.
The same thing may be in Lysell’s future.
“He’s a super bright kid,” Mougenel said. “He’s as honest as they come. The one thing with Fabian, he takes a lot of ownership in his game. So when he’s not good, he voices it. He accepts it. He knows where he’s got to get better, almost to a fault. I don’t know if I’ve been around a player that young that gets it that well. It’s encouraging. But he’s been a huge offensive weapon for us at times. And he’s a talent. I’m really excited about where Fabian’s growth is going and where it is right now.”
Keep or trade?
Lysell is dynamic off the rush. He is not scared to take the puck to the middle. His next offensive step is to incorporate more manners of scoring.
“That’s another layer of his game we’re working on,” Mougenel said. “Getting to the net. Finding those second shots. It’s not always sexy. But you watch Pasta, I don’t know anybody who goes to the net and is as good around the paint as Pasta. That’s from repetition in games.”
If Lysell follows Pastrnak’s example and becomes more of a multidimensional scoring threat, he could be a long-term right wing for the Bruins. It is a position of need, both this season and in years to come. Craig Smith is unrestricted. Jake DeBrusk, Trent Frederic, Taylor Hall, Pavel Zacha, A.J. Greer and Jakub Lauko, all left shots, have taken shifts at right wing this year.
A 2022-23 promotion for Lysell would be unlikely to benefit player or team. Lysell is mature enough to know it would be hasty.
“I want to be able to play my game and be consistent with that so I’m comfortable in my situation,” said Lysell of a call-up. “I don’t really think about that too much. What I’m thinking about is performing here as often and as consistent and as good as possible. That’s where my main focus is right now. If the chance comes, hopefully I’ll be prepared for that and I’ll be pumped for that. Just continue my play here and try to do the same thing there.”
Other teams recognize Lysell’s potential. The question for the Bruins is whether trading Lysell this year would be prudent.
The right wing could help them acquire an impact NHL player. Bo Horvat would be atop their list. It’s doubtful that future Black-and-gold rosters will be as championship ready as the 2022-23 version. An addition could make their Stanley Cup odds even better.
But Lysell is one of the Bruins’ few high-end prospects. Even if he’s not a pending NHL call-up, Lysell could be a talented and inexpensive right wing in years to come.
“I’m excited,” said Mougenel, “about him being a Bruin at some point.”
