Count Fabian Lysell among Bruins prospects eager to put pressure on the NHL roster in 2023-24

Exactly two months after going down, Lysell is still feeling the effects of the injury. 

It held him out of both of Monday's sessions during Day 1 of development camp with the Bruins determined to take it slow as they're "still kind of working through some things" with the winger, player development coordinator Adam McQuaid said. 

On Tuesday, Lysell was back on the ice, sporting a red, no-contact sweater. He's still not yet cleared to participate in battle drills. 

"I feel way better today, obviously a long travel day, and with all that my neck got pretty sore," Lysell said Tuesday at Warrior Ice Arena. "So, they released that yesterday and I felt pretty good out there today, so just take it slow."

The concussion disrupted the start of another important summer of training for Lysell, who stands at 5-foot-11, 176 pounds. He's now just beginning to get into the full swing of things after the setback. 

"I had to take it slow from the beginning with strength and especially conditioning," he said. "I wasn't like trying to max myself right away. I don't think it's necessary when you have that long of an offseason, but I feel like I've been ramping it up pretty good right now and I'm able to push myself like I want to. Right now, it's pretty good."

Lysell is coming off another encouraging season of development. In his first year as a professional the skilled, dynamic forward had 37 points (14g) in 54 games with Providence. He chipped in an assist in three playoff games before the hit from Clendeining near the end of the second period of Game 3 of the series versus the Wolf Pack. 

It came after 62 points (22g) in 53 games with the WHL's Vancouver Giants in 2021-22, his first foray into the North American game and a league with a more rough-and-tumble reputation. 

Still the growth in Lysell's game hasn't come without its share of ups and downs. He was expected to be a key cog in Sweden's offense at the World Juniors, but went without a point in seven games, accruing 29 penalty minutes. Lysell was also a minus-12 on the year with the Baby B's. 

Development for most players is rarely, if ever, linear.

"Well, I think he's continuing to learn the North American game," assistant general manager-player personal and former director of player development Jamie Langenbrunner said. "I think what we saw in the WHL two years ago would be the growth as the year went on. I think this year, he hit a bit of a wall with World Juniors stuffed in there as well, coming off of that. Still, I think he's learning how to grind through it. I think he's continuing to take the steps forward. Unfortunately for him, he took a cheap shot that slowed him a bit this summer, but it was good on him to be here this week and working hard and it's good to see him on the ice again."

Lysell understands that his transition to the professional level will continue to be an ongoing process, even after getting a sizable taste this season.

"It's a lot of new things," he said. "New things to take in, and I feel like the start of the year was really good, the first four months. Then I had a dip there during January. I felt like I was kind of up and down the rest of the year. … Looking back at it, I learned a lot of new things that I wouldn't know before last year. So, I'm really looking forward to this upcoming year, and I think I have more knowledge now that I'm really going to be able to use for next year."

The most challenging adjustment of all has been away from the rink for the 21st overall pick in 2021 as he adjusts to adulthood and the lifestyle of a professional hockey player.

"Honestly, I think [the biggest thing] is more off the ice, how you switch off after a game and all that stuff," Lysell said. "When you come into Game 60, you really need to know how to control your body so you can relax when you have to, and when you have to be on it you can switch it on. So, that's really what I've been focusing on a lot and what I tried to work on last year. Coming into next year, that's something that I'm going to do and have more knowledge. 

"I know more about how to use that on and off button."

Boston feels he is just scratching the surface. The skill is evidently clear among his peers, even as he was limited during Tuesday's skate. 

They know what he can do as a playmaker and dangler, but now, Langenbrunner wants to see continued improvement as a shooter in addition to increased physical maturation, two-way details and awareness of the potential dangers around him in the hard areas of the ice. 

"Continuing to add strength, continuing to be comfortable playing in those areas," Langenbrunner said of Lysell's areas for growth. "He plays with a lot of courage. Maybe he has to learn to play a little bit safer to make sure he doesn't put himself into some spots once in a while. He wants to control the puck, and he wants to make plays. 

"I think he's continuing to work on his shot to be that double threat that we want him to be. We put him on the power play a bit last year to kind of, I don't want to say force him to shoot it more, but to get him in that mindset to have that mentality, and he took to it pretty well. We'll continue to push those things and we'll continue to remember that he's a [20]-year-old kid and just kind of just taking those steps forward."

Lysell is ready to do the work. September will be his third training camp, and Don Sweeney and the Bruins have been upfront numerous times about needing younger players to step into vacancies on the NHL roster.

"We have plenty of opportunity for younger kids to come in and take their place if they earn it," Sweeney said on July 1. 

Mason Lohrei feels ready to make a push, and so does Lysell. 

"I think everybody coming into camp is trying to make the team and I'm no different," Lysell said. "I know last year was really good for me, and I think coming into camp this year, I'm really going to put all my energy out there to make that team. I've been doing the camp now two times and I feel like now the third time, I'm going to be even more focused. 

"I'm really going to battle out there to take my spot."