The writing was on the wall for Fabian Lysell's future with the Boston Bruins, as he could not find a way to make it onto the NHL roster. As everyone in Providence passed the Swedish forward by, it seemed like he was going to walk away from the Bruins and either go back home or find another NHL team. For the Bruins' front office, it was good business to get a player like Ivan Ivan in return.
It still hurts to see Lysell not reach his full potential, especially when the Bruins could really use another top-six skilled winger, but the forward played just 12 NHL games in Boston, with all of them coming at the end of the dreadful 2024-25 season. Ivan may not have the same offensive upside that Bruins fans once thought Lysell had, but he does have 49 games under his belt playing a high-energy role for the Colorado Avalanche.
The Bruins acquired C Ivan Ivan from the Avalanche in exchange for RW Fabian Lysell.
— Jack Aylmer (@Jack_Aylmer) June 28, 2026
Ivan totaled 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points across 66 AHL games last season. Has recorded 5 goals and 4 assists for 9 points through 49 career NHL games. pic.twitter.com/uJNj0AZOb7
If the Bruins' plan is to get younger, adding a player like Ivan to the bottom-six makes sense. It might feel like there isn't much room for him with all the depth pieces they added last season, but with the trade rumors surrounding Sean Kuraly earlier this offseason, it's possible that the front office is looking to go younger for the player lining up between Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic.
It was a bit nostalgic to see Kuraly back in a Bruins uniform, but Boston should think about going a different direction and giving that spot to Ivan. Kuraly played a solid role for the Bruins, but there was times when he sort of forced the game into a lull. The playoffs felt like there wouldn't be too much bad happen against the team when Kuraly was on the ice, but he also wasn't going to generate too much in favor of them either.
With Ivan, it might not be a steady presence like Kuraly, but he is going to use his speed all around the ice and give that line a bit of a different element. After watching how the Bruins' bottom-six couldn't keep up with the opposition at times this season, Ivan would give them that speed and energy option as a fourth-line center.
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