No matter how you feel about him as a player, it's hard not to start feeling bad for Boston Bruins prospect Fabian Lysell. The offensive forward's knock has always been that he gets knocked off pucks easily and doesn't get engaged in the physical side of the game enough, and he has really been working on those issues, as seen on Saturday night when he got in a fight with Hartford Wolf Pack defenseman Jackson Dorrington.
HERE WE GO AGAIN! Jackson Dorrington discards of Fabian Lysell after a trio of fists!#HFDvsPRO | #NYR pic.twitter.com/Va1dKCibeY
— Keegan Jarvis (@TheKeeganJarvis) March 15, 2026
Lysell gave up some size in the fight and didn't fare particularly well, but his willingness to get in there was commendable given his lack of fighting experience. However, despite showing the coaching staff that he is willing to put his body on the line for his teammates, Lysell is in the familiar position of being a healthy scratch for Sunday's matinee.
It's possible that part of the reason Lysell was willing to take out some frustrations was his lack of offensive output lately. Lysell needs to be more physical, but if he's going to make the NHL one day, it will be on the strength of his offensive creativity. The forward hasn't scored in 12 games and has just two goals since January 24.
Lysell has to start seeing the writing on the wall for his Bruins career soon. James Hagens will likely sign at the end of his season, which will fill another place ahead of Lysell on the forward depth chart. It also wouldn't be shocking if Andre Gasseau signed to play with Providence and starts stealing some minutes. Add in the production of Lukas Reichel since the trade deadline acquisition, and spots are filling up for Lysell.
This healthy scratch is likely a chance for the Swedish forward to get a reset and watch some games from up top, but there are only so many more times where that excuse is going to work before the front office starts thinking of other options. As much as it would be terrible to see another first-round pick fall by the wayside for the Bruins, the chances of him wanting to re-sign in Boston after his contract ends this season are slim.
Whether it's in North America or back home in Europe, Lysell's days as a Bruin could be numbered, especially if he goes the full season without a chance in Boston. With the Bruins' offense sputtering at the NHL level, there's a slim possibility the scratch is leading to him getting a game or two in the NHL, but there are players more deserving who would've likely gotten the call first, so we'll assume this is a performance-based scratch from Ryan Mougenel.