BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 26: General Manager Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins speaks during Media Day ahead of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden on May 26, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
When it came to last month’s free agency frenzy, general manager Don Sweeney and the Bruins spending over $84 million in the opening moments of free agency was not a shock. The Bruins had needs and they made it clear that they were going to attack them aggressively.
But if there was anything that could’ve left you a little surprised with what they did, it’s that their secondary move after the addition of top-six center Elias Lindholm came with the signing of a defenseman (Nikita Zadorov) and not a winger to provide some much-needed scoring help.
And that need for the Bruins only intensified with the departures of versatile, secondary scoring threats like Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen (both of whom went to Vancouver), and has left one gigantic hole somewhere on the Black and Gold’s roster with training camp less than a month away.
“I think the depth of our defense is the strength of our hockey club, I wanted to continue to make sure we have those foundational pieces in place,” Sweeney said when discussing why the Bruins did not sign a wing and instead made an investment in the 6-foot-6 Zadorov. “I think [with] this group as a whole, we can tease a little more offense out of it. So if you’re going to allow Charlie [McAvoy] and Hampus [Lindholm] to get back to hopefully the level he’s capable of, from one year to the next, I think you have to have that depth to allow [Mason Lohrei] to continue to grow and expand his footprint in the game.
“You’re really looking at our lineup now on the backend [and] every guy can really play 20 minutes. We can distribute that ice time, hopefully, more evenly. And in this case, you’re probably going to sacrifice and chase something on the wing as a result of that. You’re really prioritizing getting a center, as I mentioned, and going into free agency, you’re gonna enter an uncomfortable zone, right? You just are.
“The pie is only so big. That’s what happens.”
And for Boston, that spells out having to hope that there’s someone internally who can help fill the scoring void on the wings. One move the Bruins are almost certain to make next season is to shift Pavel Zacha back to the left wing spot he played for the majority of his 2022-23 campaign after a 2023-24 primarily spent as David Pastrnak’s center. Beyond that, however, the focus for the Bruins comes to hoping that there’s a young guy in the pipeline ready to step up and grab a job.
“I would say to [Georgii Merkulov], [Fabian Lysell], or Riley Duran [if you] keep going down the list, just pin your ears back, train your ass off this summer, and come with the intent that there’ll be an opportunity here,” Sweeney acknowledged. “If you’re the best player, then we find a way to get you in the lineup. You have to you have to sustain it as you’re going along. Those guys should have clear intentions to come and find an opportunity to beat somebody out because it’ll be there.”
Of that grouping, the obvious name that pops off the page is Lysell. A 2021 first-round pick, Lysell is a natural right-shot right wing, and is coming off a year that featured 15 goals and 50 points in 56 games for AHL Providence. Overall, the 21-year-old has posted 29 goals and 87 points in 110 AHL contests. And while he can be a polarizing player depending on who you talk to (Lysell was publicly called out by P-Bruins head coach Ryan Mougenel near the midway point of the 2023-24 AHL season), the belief or expectation perhaps internally is that Lysell can push for an NHL opportunity in 2024-25.
Merkulov, an AHL All-Star a year ago, is another intriguing option for the Bruins after a 30-35-65 season in the minors. But it is worth noting that he has never lined up at right wing in his pro career, and that the Bruins didn’t try him there during what was a rather uneventful call-up last year.
Sweeney mentioning Duran by name as the third guy is also interesting in the sense that he’s one of the rawest pro prospects in the organization, with just 11 games of AHL experience. The Woburn, Mass. native did put up two goals and four points over that 11-game run to close out his season, though, and has a definite pro style game after playing in Nate Leaman’s system at Providence College.
The B’s also have some options already in the picture, too, which Sweeney was quick to point out.
“I think some people are welcoming that opportunity,” Sweeney offered. “Zacha has already been in that role so he can step in and do some of that and produce. [Morgan Geekie] has got in that role. There’s [Trent Frederic]. Somebody is going to have to. The ice time is going to get distributed.”
To Sweeney’s point, Zacha set career-highs in goals (21), assists (38), and points (59) a year ago. Same for Geekie, with 17 goals and 39 points. Oh, and Frederic, too, with 18 goals and 40 points. The latter two also have experience playing with Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle, a duo that currently projects to be Boston’s one-two punch on their second line and offers a tremendous landing spot for any talent.
“Somebody should be happy to be getting that opportunity,” Sweeney noted. “And I’ll keep an eye out towards maybe something that presents [itself down the road]. Certainly if it doesn’t now, during the course of the season if there’s a void there.”
A void that in late August seems undeniable until proven otherwise.
Ty Anderson is 98.5 The Sports Hub’s friendly neighborhood straight-edge kid. Ty has been covering the Bruins (and other Boston teams) since 2010, has been a member of the PHWA since 2013, and went left to right across your radio dial and joined The Sports Hub in 2018. Ty also writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to the Boston Celtics and Boston Red Sox.