With the NHL callups of John Beecher, Matt Poitras, and Mason Lohrei, the focus is now on finding the next group of prospects that can progress to a career with the Boston Bruins. The Bruins’ prospect rankings have been at or near the bottom of the league for a while now. This latest trio of young stars certainly brings some promise, which is a blessing for a late first-round draft pick and two second-rounders in the mid-fifties on the draft board. But this is where the pool gets a little dry for Boston. The next batch of young players will need to develop fairly soon to provide what the Bruins will need at the NHL level.
The next two to most logically make the jump to the parent club are forwards Georgii Merkulov and Fabian Lysell. Merkulov got his first taste of NHL play with four games as the calendar turned to 2024. The former Ohio State center went pointless in his debut with an average ice time of 10:35. Merkulov struggled at the faceoff dot by winning only seven of 28 draws and played just 6:23 in his last game before being sent down. His AHL season has been far different, as the 23-year-old has registered 25 goals and 30 assists in 54 games for the Providence Bruins.
Lysell has come on this season with improved consistency and defensive play. The first-round pick in 2021 has also had a stellar offensive season after a slow start, with 15 goals and 34 assists in 55 games. In his last 10 games, Lysell has 11 points and has asserted himself as the top prospect that scouts projected he would be when drafted. The 21-year-old skilled winger has yet to see time in Boston but should have his chance out of training camp next season.
From there, it is slim pickings quickly for the Bruins organization. Boston has done an excellent job in recent years of scouting, identifying, and developing goaltenders. This might be the best crop of them all, with Providence goaltenders Brandon Bussi and Michael DiPietro leading the way. Bussi was an undrafted free agent signing out of Western Michigan and has had two solid seasons in Providence. DiPietro has climbed the ranks from the ECHL’s Maine Mariners to Providence and has blossomed with a 2.52 goals against average and a .917 save percentage this season. Providence College goalie Philip Svedeback, Reid Dyck of the Swift Current Broncos in the Western Hockey League, and newly acquired Ryan Bischel out of Notre Dame are also part of a solid group of netminders.
There are some intriguing prospects in the system, including Providence forward Trevor Kuntar, UMass forward Dans Locmelis, and Boston College Eagles forwards Oskar Jellvik and Andre Gasseau. But the next good pairing could be from the most recent draft with the likes of forwards Chris Pelosi and Beckett Hendrickson, who were chosen in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. Pelosi has reached the 50-point mark in the USHL, and Hendrickson is just two points away.
The Bruins have either drafted down the first round because of playoff runs or traded first round picks to strength the parent club. As a result, the Bruins are seeing the effects of this willingness to trade draft capital and lacking some true top end young talent. Hopefully, the next batch will be available to the Bruins sooner rather than never.
Season 4. Episode 14. West Coast Road Trip. – Bruins Benders Podcast
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