The Boston Bruins have some things to figure out before the 2024-25 season after forward Jake Debrusk signed a 7-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks, and Linus Ullmark was traded to the Ottawa Senators for Mark Kastelic, Joonas Korpisalo and a draft pick. The Bruins also saw Matt Grzelcyk, Danton Heinen, Derek Forbort, Pat Maroon, and Jakub Lauko all go to different teams – Lauko was traded, but the rest left via free agency.
Initially, Boston had three forward spots and three defensive spots open. Then, when free agency opened, they made a splash, signing Nikita Zadrov and Elias Lindholm, so they now have two open spots at each position. In the American Hockey League (AHL), the Providence Bruins have players who should fill those spots, whether that is down the road or to start the season. Here are the players who should make the roster, but if they don’t, will be at risk of being traded.
Forward – Fabian Lysell
2023-24 Stats (56 games): 15 goals, 35 assists (50 points)
According to The Hockey News, one of the more likely candidates to make the roster out of training camp is forward Fabian Lysell. With the departures of DeBrusk, Heinen, and Maroon, he should fill out one of the vacant winger spots.
The 21-year-old from Sweden has battled through injuries that have hampered his ability to make an impact at the NHL level and play a full season in the AHL. The Bruins might want to help his development and see if he can stay healthy before they promote him to the big club.
Lysell has come very close to making the roster since he was drafted in 2021. He is signed through the 2025-26 season, but surely Boston expected a faster turnaround than this. Given his ability to find teammates with passes with ease, and his above-average speed on the ice (not to mention how young he is), it may be time for Lysell to make that push that shoves him onto the NHL lineup this season. Otherwise, he may find himself on a short leash in Providence, and Boston may start taking phone calls from teams looking for players of his caliber.
Goaltender – Brandon Bussi
2023-24 Stats (41 games): 23-10-5, 2.67 GAA%, .913 SV% (one shutout)
The Bruins have a great set-up with Korpisalo and (presumably) Jeremy Swayman, but it is imperative for Brandon Bussi to get some looks in net this season. While management inked Bussi to a two-way contract this offseason, it’s no guarantee that he will play in the NHL in 2024-25. After all, in the past, he has been called for emergency duty as the only backup before the emergency backup and still did not see any action, even as a mop-up netminder.
He is, by all accounts, an NHL-ready goalie, but he has a few stumbling blocks to overcome to get solid playing time. Among these stumbling blocks are Swayman and Korpisalo, but mostly, he is older than Swayman and has not been on the ice outside of the preseason. He has shown flashes of what could be, especially during the 2023-24 preseason, but still has yet to hit the ice with the Bruins.
Bussi is 6-foot-5 – one of the taller goalies in the Bruins’ system. To stay in the system – and so Boston doesn’t feel like they have to take calls on him – he may have to make a push to beat out Korpisalo for the backup job.
Michael Callahan – Defenseman
2023-24 Stats (70 games): 4 goals, 13 assists (17 points)
One of the players to watch heading into training camp is Michael Callahan. Callahan, a veteran of three seasons with the P-Bruins, will be looking to crack his first NHL roster and finally make his long-awaited debut.
After serving as alternate captain in Providence in 2023-24 and captain for three years at Providence College, he has proven he has the leadership qualities the Bruins will need down the road; however, he will first need to make his play worthy of a call-up. There are open spots on defense, especially for a left-handed defenseman, so he should expect to get the call this season.
Callahan put up career-highs in games played, goals and assists in the 2023-24 season, and is on a trajectory to see those numbers go up in 2024-25. He is also disciplined, averaging just under 21 minutes of penalty minutes per season, something that Boston will look at as a plus.
At 24 years old, Callahan, like Bussi, is ready for a real NHL call-up, hopefully with the Bruins. If he wants to stay in Boston, which he presumably does, being from Massachusetts, he will have to do it sooner rather than later or it may be time to cut him loose or find a trade partner while he still has value.
What’s Next for the Bruins?
Bruins’ training camp opens on Sept. 18, and the Bruins’ first preseason game is on Sept. 22 against the New York Rangers. Puck drop is at 5:00 p.m. at the TD Garden.
