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Preseason games are a great opportunity for young NHL players to showcase their talent and prove they deserve one of the Opening Night roster spots.
Boston Bruins prospect Fabian Lysell failed to make a strong case for himself in Sunday's preseason opener versus the New York Rangers at TD Garden.
Of course, we're still very early in the preseason. There are six more of these games to be played, and several more training camp practices before the regular season begins Oct. 8 in Florida. But for a player like Lysell, it's important to take advantage of each chance.
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Lysell was pretty quiet in the 3-2 loss to the Rangers. In fact, he was held without a point and didn't register a single shot on net. He tallied just three shot attempts and had two turnovers in 14:55 of ice time, including 2:07 on the power play. His linematers were Cole Koepke and John Farinacci.
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One of those turnovers came in the third period and ultimately led to the Rangers' winning goal with 15:14 left on the clock. Lysell was carrying the puck through the neutral zone and had it taken from him just before he entered the attacking zone. The Rangers gained possession, and 12 seconds later the puck was in the Bruins' net.
It wasn't a brutal turnover, but protecting the puck and executing zone entries are very important, especially for a player with the puck-handling skill and speed that Lysell plays with. He needs to be stronger on pucks and make quicker decisions.
The lack of offensive production is the main reason why Lysell's preseason debut was underwhelming. If he's going to make the roster, it will likely be because of his goal scoring, playmaking talent and his ability to make opposing defensemen uncomfortable with his speed. The Bruins could really use a player with the dynamic offensive talent he brings to the ice.
The Bruins lost three veteran wingers in the offseason -- Jake DeBrusk, James van Riemsdyk and Danton Heinen -- who combined to score 47 goals last season. Lysell is one of several players in the mix to fill the void created by the aforementioned veterans leaving in free agency.
DeBrusk was often a top-six player who found himself on the second line with Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle in 2023-24. That second-line right wing spot is up for grabs over the next few weeks, and in an ideal situation, Lysell would grab hold of it.
He still might. One bad preseason outing isn't the end of the world. And to be fair, Lysell did a great job helping prevent an empty-net goal late in the third period Sunday with a strong backcheck. It was the kind of high-effort play you want to see from a young player.
It will be fascinating to watch how Lysell plays over the next few weeks. After two seasons in the AHL, this is the time for the 2021 first-round pick to show he's ready to be an NHL regular. But he'll have to earn the job. It's won't just be given to him because of where he was drafted.
