Nine games through the American Hockey League (AHL) season, the Providence Bruins are 8-1-0 with a roster that is loaded with some good young talent. Early in the season, the P-Bruins have been able to get production from their entire roster.
On Saturday night, they suffered their first loss of the season, 2-0, to the Hershey Bears. It has been a rough go of things early in the season for one of the Black and Gold's top prospects, Fabian Lysell. While the former first-round pick is struggling, some of the older players are having some success this year. One of them helped Providence bounce back from their loss the day before to the Bears with a 5-2 victory over the Charlotte Checkers.
Riley Tufte continues torrid start to 2025-26 for Providence Bruins
Riley Tufte, signed in free agency to a one-year contract in the summer of 2024 and then re-signed over the summer again, is off to a sorching start for the P-Bruins. He picked up goals No. 6 and No. 7 against the Checkers on Sunday with an assist. He is up to seven goals and seven assists this season in nine games.
TUFTE'S TEAM LEADING SIXTH IS FOR THE LEAD 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XmAzwfdBPP
— Providence Bruins (@AHLBruins) November 2, 2025
While Tufte continues to shine early in the season, Lysell has struggled and moved down the lineup. He responded on Sunday afternoon with a goal in the win over Charlotte. Out of all the prospects in the AHL for the Black and Gold, Lysell is one, along with Matthew Poitras, who Boston needs to develop and take a step forward this year.
Tufte is an interesting player as he is 27 years old, but just where does he fit in, if at all, with the NHL club? He would be nothing more than another bottom-six forward that the roster seems to have a lot of. However, like the rest of the prospects, they need him to be ready to be called up if injuries continue to pile up more than they have now.