When the Boston Bruins revealed their rookie camp roster, some notable names, including Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov, were missing.
Providence coach Ryan Mougenel clarified after the rookie camp concluded on Wednesday that the Bruins aim to have Lysell and Merkulov “extremely ready” for the upcoming training camp, expecting both to make a strong case for the NHL roster.
“I think you can get dinged up a little bit. But that’s a little above me, so I’ll leave it at that,” Mougenel commented at Warrior Ice Arena. “But I expect those two to push as well, and they both look fantastic and are in great spirits. Their mindset seems great. So, they’re two fantastic players, and I’m excited to see how they perform in camp.”
Merkulov had a brief stint with Boston last season, appearing in four games after being called up from Providence. Although he didn’t register any points, he contributed with two hits and four blocked shots. The 23-year-old had a standout season in the AHL, scoring 30 goals and adding 35 assists in 67 games with the P-Bruins.
Lysell, who has yet to debut in the NHL, is close to breaking through. He had a strong camp last year but spent the season in Providence. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney mentioned over the summer that if Lysell hadn’t suffered a concussion near the end of the 2023-24 AHL season, he might have been given a chance.
Lysell attended development camp earlier this summer, and Bruins player development coordinator Adam McQuaid advised that Lysell doesn’t need to “set the world on fire,” just be reliable.
Both Lysell and Merkulov will enter camp aiming for a spot on the Bruins’ Opening Night roster and will be key players to watch when training camp starts on Sept. 18.
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