2 Former Bruins Get Fresh Start With Avalanche – Hockey Writers – Bruins Prospects

If you’ve been following the Boston Bruins for the past few seasons, you’ve probably heard the names Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov. Two promising young players who once seemed like a lock to make the Bruins’ roster one day, both players are now members of the Colorado Avalanche organization. Lysell was traded to the Avalanche in June and Merkulov signed with the team on July 20.

In 219 AHL games, the 23-year-old Lysell scored 57 goals and 163 points, including 17 goals and 42 points last season. Merkulov played 271 games for Providence and scored 94 goals and 240 points, including 24 goals and 61 points last season.

The Bruins have always struggled to develop young talent in recent years. Whether the problem was the players themselves, the Bruins’ development plan, or something in between is unclear. What is clear, however, is that Merkulov became the leading scorer for the Providence Bruins during his time in the AHL and Lysell was a highly respected figure who had a lot of criticism. The two combined for 23 total NHL games during their time with the Bruins.

It’s easy to look at NHL production and say that both Lysell and Merkulov failed to produce at the NHL level, but that also wouldn’t be negligent given the circumstances. In 12 games, Lysell scored one goal and three points. In 11 games (split over three seasons), Merkulov recorded one assist and failed to score a goal.

The bottom line here is that Lysell averaged just 13:27 of ice time in his time in Boston and Merkulov averaged just 12:18. Players should not be given opportunities; these opportunities should always be seized. That said, the Bruins have never given any player a consistent chance or a long enough leash to determine what they can contribute at the NHL level.

Bruins Player Development must improve

Time will tell if Lysell or Merkulov become NHL regulars with a very talented Avalanche team, but the bigger issue to consider here is that the Bruins need to do a better job of identifying a player’s strengths and playing to them rather than completely replacing them.

Unfortunately, some of the top prospects have already left the Bruins organization. Change has to start somewhere, however, and the good news is that the Bruins have begun to make changes to address these issues. The additions of Kevyn Adams, Dennis Bonvie, Jeremy Rogalski and Alex Gimenez, combined with the departures of Providence general manager Evan Gold and head coach Ryan Mougenel, represent a change in the Bruins’ approach to player development.

Hopefully, going forward, the Bruins will do a better job of developing young talent that can make an impact at the NHL level. This will be very important as the Bruins aim to return to their place as the perennial contenders. It’s almost impossible to stay competitive for long in the salary world without finding young talent to support the roster. Part of this is good writing, but a big part of the puzzle is player development. Merkulov and Lysell may thrive elsewhere, but Boston can no longer allow this to become a continuing trend.