Like most players who enter pro hockey as teenagers, Fabian Lysell encountered his share of challenges in his first year with the Providence Bruins.
The B’s first-round pick in 2021 (21st overall) traversed hills and valleys throughout his season before it came to a dead end when he was the recipient of a late, high hit from Hartford’s veteran forward Adam Clendening in the Calder Cup playoffs after Lysell had delivered a pass and cut into the middle of the ice, concussing one of the B’s brightest prospects and ending his first pro year.
Lysell started fast, had a tough World Junior Championships for Sweden and then see-sawed the rest of the season. The skilled right wing wound up with 14-23-37 totals in 54 games, a decent output for a player his age, though not quite the totals that would label him a can’t-miss-kid.
“It’s a lot of new things, a lot of new things to take in,” said Lysell on Tuesday. “I feel like the start of the year was really good, the first four months and then I had a dip there during January. I felt like I was up and down the rest of the year. It’s a lot of new things to take in, but looking back at it, I learned a lot that I wouldn’t have known before last year. I’m looking forward to this upcoming year. I think I have more knowledge that I’m really going to be able to use for next year.”
He’s learning everything it takes to be a pro.
“Honestly, it’s more off the ice, how you switch off after a game and stuff,” said Lysell. “When you come into like Game 60, you really know how to control your body so that you can relax when you have to. And when you have to be on you can switch it on. That’s really one of the things I’ve been focusing on a lot. I’ve really been trying work on last year. Coming into next year, that’s something I’ll have more knowledge about and I know more how to use that on/off button.”
Assistant GM/Player Personnel Jamie Langenbrunner said Lysell’s ups and downs in his first year are all part of the maturation process.
“He’s continuing to learn the North American,” said Langenbrunner. “We saw in the WHL (with the Vancouver Giants) two years ago the growth as the year went on. This year, he hit a bit of a wall with the World Juniors stuffed in there as well, coming off of that. I think he’s learning how to grind through it. He’s continuing to take the steps forward. Unfortunately for him, he got a bit of a cheap shot late that slowed him a little bit this summer. But it’s been good on him to be here this week and working hard and good to see him on the ice.”
The B’s were careful with him on Day One of Development Camp, keeping him off the ice after he experienced some neck soreness following his flight in from Sweden. But he felt well enough on Tuesday to participate in on-ice drills in a non-contact capacity.
His offseason training may have been delayed slightly because of the head injury, but it wasn’t too harmful for him.
“I had to take it so slow, with my strength (training) and especially conditioning,” said Lysell. “I wasn’t trying to max myself right away. I don’t think it’s necessary when you have that long of an off-season but I feel like I’ve been (ramping) it up pretty good right now and I feel like I’m able to push myself like I want to. Right now, I feel pretty good.”
Lysell looks more mature physically than he did when he first came over in his draft years two years ago, but he still needs to add strength to his 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame. Langenbrunner wants him to learn more when to put his body at risk, as well as diversify his attack with the obvious skillset he possesses.
“He plays with a lot of courage. Maybe he’s got to learn how to be a little safer so maybe he doesn’t put himself into some spots once in a while,” said Langenbrunner. “He wants to control the puck, he wants to make plays. I think he’s continued to work on his shot to be that double threat that we want him to be. We put him in the bumper on the power play a bit last year to kind of, I don’t want to say force him to shoot it but to get him in that mindset to have that mentality. And he took to it pretty well. So we’ll continue to push those things and continue to remember he’s a (20)-year-old and just taking those steps forward.”
If Lysell’s at all close to taking the next step up the ladder to the NHL, there is an opportunity there. GM Don Sweeney has made it clear that with the departure of several veteran forwards, he’ll have eyes on his prospects come September.
“I think everybody coming into camp is trying to make the team, and I’m no different,” said Lysell. “Last year was really good for me and coming into camp this year I’m really going to put all my energy out there to make the team. I’ve been to the camp now two times and I feel like now the third I’m going to be even more focused. I’m really going to battle out there to take my spot.”…
First Toronto stole Tyler Bertuzzi, now an assistant coach. John Gruden, who spent one year on Jim Montgomery’s staff running the defense and coching the power play, was hired as the head coach of the Toronto Marlies, the Maple Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate. Gruden was the lone staff hire for Montgomery, who’ll now be searching for a replacement.
