Bruins Notebook: B's prospect Fabian Lysell takes fast road to North America by signing ELC

Fabian Lysell wasn’t able to take part in the Bruins’ annual Development Camp last week due to COVID-related protocols, but Boston’s 2021 first-round pick (and arguably most dynamic offensive prospect) could find himself back in New England in short order.

The Bruins announced on Monday they signed Lysell to a three-year, entry-level contract with an annual NHL cap hit of $925,000 — bringing the dynamic forward into the fold less than three weeks after Boston scooped him up with the 21st overall pick. 

“The Bruins are excited to have signed Fabian to his first NHL contract,” Don Sweeney said in a release. “Fabian is a talented young player, and we look forward to working with Fabian throughout the development process.”

Lysell, 18, appeared in 26 games with Lulea HF of the Swedish Hockey League in 2020-21, recording two goals and one assist for three points. Even though his numbers may not jump off the page, it’s important to note that teenagers like Lysell are expected to hit bumps in the road when logging shifts in the SHL — considering that they’re going up against competition 5-10 years older than them.

When matched up against players more in line with his age, Lysell impressed — posting 13 points over 11 games against J20 competition in Sweden and tallying nine points over seven games during the 2021 World Juniors. 

Lysell’s skating ability and hands are already standout qualities that solidified his place as a first-round talent. While former Bruin player and current B’s European scouting director P.J. Axelsson downplayed comparisons to another prospect playing in Sweden that Boston scooped up later in a first round in David Pastrnak — he also acknowledged that Lysell’s high-end tools could make him a lethal scorer in the NHL ranks. 

“I have to be careful, because Pasta is a superstar in the NHL,” Axelsson said. “But at the same age, they are similar. They both really want to win hockey games, they’re both really competitive, and they love to score goals. There are similarities. Hopefully Fabian can do what Pasta did and develop the same way. I’m not saying he’ll be the same player, because we don’t know, but he definitely has the talent to become a very good hockey player.”

At this point, it sure seems like Lysell is set to follow a similar path as Pastrnak in terms of his development, as Pastrnak also signed his ELC after getting drafted and reported right away to Providence at just 18 years old.

Of course, the rest is history in regards to Pastrnak — who tallied 28 points in 25 games with the Baby B’s in 2014-15 before getting the call up to the NHL ranks that same season. 

Now, granted, it is extremely unrealistic to expect a similar situation with Lysell in terms of his stock suddenly soaring after making the jump over to North America. 

But just the fact that both player and team believe that Lysell’s skill level is enough to compete with older and more physical competition — potentially at either Providence or Maine — is a positive development in and of itself. 

Lysell will need to prove himself in camp when it comes to carving out a spot within Boston’s system, and it’s important to temper expectations when he inevitably hits a wall at some point while adjusting to stronger opponents, smaller ice surfaces and much more. Lysell already acknowledged that he'll need to add some muscle to his 173-pound frame, which is a hurdle that just about every prospect must face while on the long road up to the NHL.

But even if Lysell is likely a few years away from potentially serving as a top-six fixture in Boston, the optics are certainly encouraging that the uber-skilled forward is going to already be cutting his teeth stateside in 2021 — potentially just an hour's drive away from his ultimate goal on Causeway Street. 

Cassidy named to Team Canada coaching staff

If NHL talent does indeed head to Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics, the Bruins are likely going to have plenty of representatives across multiple teams, such as Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand (Canada), Charlie McAvoy (USA)  David Pastrnak (Czech Republic) — and likely others.

But Boston is set to be well-represented on the bench as well, as Hockey Canada announced Monday that Bruce Cassidy will serve as an assistant coach for his home country during the 2022 Games. 

Cassidy will join Sweeney on Team Canada’s staff — with Sweeney selected as an Assistant General Manager for Team Canada in February.

Cassidy will serve on a Team Canada coaching staff led by Tampa Bay bench boss Jon Cooper — with Cassidy joining a group of assistants alongside Vegas Golden Knights Head Coach Peter DeBoer and New York Islanders Head Coach Barry Trotz.

Back in February, Cassidy — an Ottawa native who was sworn in as a US citizen in October 2020 — did express his desire for working with Team Canada in some capacity ahead of the Olympics. 

“As a coach, I'd love to represent my country,” Cassidy said. “As you know, I became an American citizen recently, but I mean, I've been a Canadian for my whole life, and it's still a big part of me, and I never want to lose that. So for me, it'd be an honor to be considered — really an honor to be chosen in any capacity.”

Cassidy is entering his sixth season as the head coach of the Bruins — compiling a record of 194-82-41 since taking over the reins back in February 2017. 

The 2022 Beijing Olympics are scheduled to take place February 3-20 at the National Indoor Stadium and the Wukesong Sports Center.