Going into training camp, one question surrounding the Boston Bruins was replacing Jake DeBrusk. Now, replacing DeBrusk’s production might not be done by one player, but may have to be replaced by a couple of different players combined.
The early returns for prospects Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov have not been positive. Again, they are early results and there is still time for one of the two to move ahead of the other to impress the coaching staff. If neither player doesn’t do it, the Bruins could be looking for someone else to step up and that player could be one in camp on a PTO.
Who is Bruins forward Tyler Johnson, anyway?
The Bruins have had success with PTOs under GM Don Sweeney and you don’t need to look any further than last season with Danton Heinen. In his second stint with the Black and Gold, he went from a PTO in camp to a valuable forward and one who produced more than Boston would have hoped. In fact, his 2023-24 season earned him a nice payday in free agency with the Vancouver Canucks.
Could the Bruins be looking to strike it rich again this season with Tyler Johnson? He is a veteran forward at 34 yards old who spent nine years with the Tampa Bay Lightning and is a Stanley Cup winner. The last three years he spent with the Chicago Blackhawks before agreeing to a PTO with Boston.
In 738 career regular season games, the 5-foot-8, 185-pound Ontario native has 193 goals and 238 assists. Those are numbers that are not going to jump off the screen at you and get you excited, but neither did Heinen’s last season. Johnson has already spoken about the Bruins culture in his short time here and sounds like someone determined to stick around for the 2024-25 season.
There is still time for both Lysell and Merkulov to play themselves into the Bruins lineup for the Opening Night against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, but if neither can secure that spot, don’t be surprised if Johnson does.