The Boston Bruins did a good job integrating several rookies to their NHL roster last season, including center Matt Poitras, center Johnny Beecher and defenseman Mason Lohrei.
Could the B's do something similar with one or more prospects ahead of the 2024-25 campaign?
The Bruins do not have an elite prospect pool. In fact, most experts rank the group near the bottom of the league. But that doesn't mean the system is without any real NHL-caliber talent.
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Bruins rookie camp begins Wednesday, and it's a huge opportunity for some of these prospects to showcase their talent and make the case they belong in Boston sooner rather than later.
Which prospects could compete for a roster spot in training camp and the preseason? Let's break down four options.
Fabian Lysell
Position: Right wing
2023-24 Team: Providence Bruins (AHL)
2023-24 Stats: 15G, 35A in 56 GP
It's time for Lysell to show he can take the next step and not only play well enough to earn an NHL roster spot, but also be a contributor offensively.
He's the most gifted offensive player in Boston's prospect pool. The 2021 first-round pick has a great shot, he plays with tremendous speed and his playmaking skill is impressive. He's the type of player who can put defensemen on their heels as he flies through the neutral zone toward the opponent's net. His skill set would also be helpful on the power play. The offseason departures of Jake DeBrusk and James van Riemsdyk could result in some new faces on the second power-play unit.
Lysell has dealt with some injuries during his AHL career. When healthy, he has the potential to be a dynamic offensive player, and that is something the Bruins are very much lacking. It also helps that Lysell's natural position is right wing, which is a position of weakness for Boston.
The most ideal scenario for the Bruins is Lysell playing great in camp and the preseason and showing he deserves to start the season as the second-line right wing. But he has to earn it first. He's not going to be thrown into that role just because he's a first-round pick.
We all know Lysell can contribute offensively, but is he able to handle the defensive responsibilities asked of NHL players? The Bruins pride themselves on playing a smart, responsible two-way game. Lysell needs to show he's made progress defensively during camp and the preseason. That said, the Bruins should give him a bit of leeway here. There are going to be mistakes. He's only 21 years old.
Lysell has played 110 games over two seasons in Providence. At some point, the B's have to give this kid a chance to prove himself at the next level.
Georgii Merkulov
Position: Center
2023-24 Team: Providence Bruins (AHL)
2023-24 Stats: 30G, 35A in 67 GP
Merkulov has shown the ability to be a very good offensive player at the AHL level. He led the P-Bruins in scoring each of the last two seasons, tallying 55 points (24 goals, 31 assists) in 2022-23 and 65 points (30 goals, 35 assists) in 2023-24. There's not really a ton left for Merkulov to prove in Providence.
The question is, where does he fit in at the NHL level? He hasn't played much right wing in the AHL, so it wouldn't make a ton of sense to throw him into that position in camp. He's a natural center, where his goal scoring and playmaking skill has been crucial to Providence's recent success.
The problem is the Bruins have so many centers in the mix. Elias Lindholm and Charlie Coyle are the top-six centers. Other players on the roster who can play center include Pavel Zacha, Trent Frederic, Morgan Geekie, Mark Kastelic and Matt Poitras. Prospects such as Riley Duran and Marc McLaughlin can play down the middle, too.
Maybe, as a left shot, Merkulov could compete for a bottom-six left wing spot. Either way, the Bruins would be smart to give him a chance. The four-game callup he got last season wasn't enough of a sample size to determine whether he can be an effective NHL player.
Riley Duran
Position: Center/right wing
2023-24 Team: Providence College (NCAA)
2023-24 Stats 9G, 7A in 35 GP
There's always a chance one prospect surprises and forces the Bruins' front office and coaching staff to make tough decisions. Last year, Matt Poitras played so well that sending him back to the OHL just didn't make sense. And Poitras rewarded the Bruins' faith in him with a strong rookie season that was unfortunately cut short early due to injury.
Could Duran make a similar ascent over the next month? The former Providence College standout plays with speed and has a good two-way skill set. His offensive ability is a little underrated, too, as evidenced during this goal with the P-Bruins back in April.
What’s better than his first professional goal, though, is this clean toe-drag, forehand-backhand assist by Riley Duran on the inside. Duran, No. 11 in black, cuts inside and forces himself on a break in close before Steen bangs in the rebound. Three-point night. #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/oOZD618nv1
— Bruins Network (@BruinsNetwork) April 13, 2024
Duran is probably best suited to start the season in Providence, but it wouldn't be surprising if he's one of the better rookies in camp.
🎥 Riley Duran on his approach to #NHLBruins Rookie Camp: "Just mature as a player...going from a 30-game college season to 70-80 games, it's a difficult transition. But I think I can face it head on...if you work hard enough, they'll make room for you." pic.twitter.com/1rBVRlOS7i
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) September 11, 2024
Brandon Bussi
Position: Goaltender
2023-24 Team: Providence Bruins (AHL)
2023-24 Stats: 23-10-5, .913 SV%, 2.67 GAA
Jeremy Swayman is the undisputed No. 1 goalie in Boston right now -- assuming he signs a new contract at some point. The real debate is which netminder will be his backup?
The Bruins acquired Joonas Korpisalo in the Linus Ullmark trade with the Ottawa Senators back in July. Korpisalo is coming off an awful 2023-24 campaign during which he posted a 21-26-4 record with a .890 save percentage and a 3.27 GAA. If there's anyone who can fix Korpisalo, it's legendary Bruins goalie coach Bob Essensa, but what if the Finnish goaltender doesn't have a great camp and/or preseason?
Brandon Bussi will have a chance to prove himself over the coming weeks. He has played very well in Providence over the last two seasons, tallying a .917 save percentage as the starter. There's no reason to rush Bussi to the NHL, but he's a young player capable of making a case to be on the Opening Night roster if he has a good camp and preseason performance.