Battle for Bruin jobs about to begin

PLYMOUTH — There is no shortage of players who could fill the second line right wing for the Bruins this season. But one player presents the best-case scenario – provided he proves himself worthy of the role.

After two seasons in the American Hockey League, Fabian Lysell – the B’s first round pick in 2021 (21st overall) – should be ready to make the jump and put his skill set to work in the NHL. But with other in-house options, Lysell still has to win the job.

Coach Jim Montgomery, speaking with reporters at the Bruins’ annual golf tournament at Pinehills Golf Club that is the unofficial kick-off to a new season, outlined what the 21-year-old Lysell needs to do to stick in the spot most suited for him next to center Charlie Coyle and left wing Brad Marchand.

Hint: it has little to do with the sexy parts of the game at which Lysell can excel.

“I just want to see him immerse himself in one-on-one battles, coming up with loose pucks,” said Montgomery on Thursday. “He is a gifted offensive player, and for gifted offensive players to have success, they need to have the puck on their stick and that’s why I say he needs to win more one-on-one battles… not more, but that’s got to be a focus, being really intent on getting the puck on your stick so that you can do the things you do well.”

Other veteran in-house candidates for the spot could be Trent Frederic, Justin Brazeau or possibly even the newly acquired Max Jones. But the B’s would no doubt like to see one of the few first-round picks in their system hit and, secondly, take advantage of a relatively cheap entry level contract ($863,334 for the next two seasons). It would also allow those aforementioned veterans to play down in the lineup and give the B’s better depth.

Like Lysell, Georgii Merkulov was kept home from the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo in order to keep him ready for main camp, which opens with physicals and testing on Sept. 18. While the B’s could take a look at Merkulov at wing at some point, Montgomery said the focus right now is to keep him at center. With Elias Lindholm and Coyle the top two pivots and Mark Kastelic expected to fill the fourth-line center spot, that would mean that Merkulov would be looking to unseat Matt Poitras out of the third-line center slot.

Merkulov has produced in his two years at the AHL level. Last season he led the Providence Bruins in scoring with 30-35-65 totals and earned one three-game call-up to Boston.

“I think Georgii had a great second year. He improved upon a real good first year, and he’s just continuing to grow,” said Montgomery. “To become a full-time Bruin – not only for him but for a lot of people – it’s understanding how to build the team game consistently and having value. Because you’re not going to get the same quality icetime as you did in Providence. It’s not going to be given to you. We have (David) Pastrnak, we have Marchand, we have players that fulfill those roles. So if players want to come in and be a big part of what we do – and we think Georgii is one of those guys – it’s producing and building the team game to help us win consistently.”

Loose pucks

The B’s picked up a little veteran insurance for either third-line center or second-line right wing in the form of two-time Stanley Cup champion Tyler Johnson, who signed a professional tryout contract with the B’s. The 34-year-old Johnson had 17 goals with the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks last season.

“Tyler Jonson’s an incredibly intelligent, smart hockey player who has won,” said Montgomery. “And there’s a reason why players like that play a long time in the league. They understand the little details that lead to building a team game that lead to team success.”…

While most of the Bruins attended the golf event, it was an optional outing – and goalie Jeremy Swayman decided to opt out. Swayman, who has been working out at the team facilities for most of the summer, and the B’s have yet to come to terms on what is expected to be a lucrative extensive.

Maybe that’s a sign that negotiations are not going well, or it could be just that he didn’t want to publicly address the situation at the moment. But we are now less than a week from the start of training camp and things are starting to get a little uncomfortable. In the past, that tension has been able to yield deals. We’ll see if that’s the case here.

“Obviously it’s a big topic of conversation with the fans and media,” said Marchand. “This is part of the business and we all are looking forward to when it does get done and the process is over and he’s back with the group. But that’s obviously out of our hands and we don’t get involved in any of that. It’ll be great when everything gets squared away.”…

Still recuperating from three offseason surgeries (elbow, two core procedures), Marchand did not golf on Thursday but said his rehabs were going well. He said he’d be “very surprised” if he’s not in the lineup on opening night in Florida on Oct. 8.

“I feel good. I feel better every day,” said Marchand. “If I don’t start camp, I’ll be (ready) in the first couple of days. But everything is progressing faster than I think was expected, which feels great. The concern coming back was my arm and how long that would take. But I’m right there, I’m shooting and passing and I skated with the guys today for the first time. It’s been really good so far. I’ll still need a little time to catch up conditioning-wise because that takes a little longer to come back but all in all, I’m happy with where I’m at.”

Originally Published: September 12, 2024 at 4:13 p.m.