The Boston Bruins have been relatively content with their roster for the most part this season. They'll occasionally need to call up players from Providence in spot roles to replace injured skaters, but their health is improving quickly as we get into the second half of the season. It'll be difficult for any players from Providence to get in the lineup now, unless Don Sweeney goes through with selling some expiring assets at the trade deadline.
The growing concerns on social media over the season's first half were that the Bruins were wasting Fabian Lysell in the minors. With the Bruins competing for a playoff spot, some of those concerns have quieted, but that doesn't mean they won't resurface if Lysell continues to excel in the AHL. A stat from Bruins Network on Friday night shows just how much the Swedish prospect has grown this season.
Fabian Lysell, No. 22 in white, executes on the give and go before scoring the game-winning goal in OT for Providence. That’s 13G-20A-33PTS in 33GP for Lysell as he’s now one point away from matching last year’s point totals in 19 less games. Time for some NHL reps. #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/jKHJusisZf
— Bruins Network (@BruinsNetwork) January 24, 2026
It'd be nice to see what Lysell can do in the NHL. He hasn't been able to take hold of a spot in his other NHL call-ups, but his improved play this season could help him nail down a spot. Unfortunately for him, players like Viktor Arvidsson and Marat Khusnutdinov have been playing extremely well for the Bruins, which makes it hard for him to replace them in the top six.
As long as Boston is contending for a playoff spot, Marco Sturm isn't going to upset the chemistry of his lineup to fit in a point-per-game player from the AHL. It'd be different if he were absolutely torching the AHL, but he hasn't done enough to justify the risk of messing up the good things in Boston. If Arvidsson leaves at the trade deadline, that'd be a good time for Lysell to come up and replace his fellow Swede, but they have to keep the veteran where he is for now.
If nothing else, the play that Dans Locmelis makes to find Lysell on the overtime winner might be more exciting for fans than anything else. It feels like the Latvian Olympian might have a brighter future in Boston, given his all-around game in Providence and his continued improvement.
The problem for Lysell is that a lot of prospects have passed him by, which is more of a compliment to the front office than an indictment of the forward's game. The hype is dying down around him because there are so many prospects who are stealing the headlines, and that should be promising for Bruins fans.
If Lysell manages to find a role in Boston, great, but if not, one of those other prospects will find a way to make it work in a way he never could.