Just about two weeks after free agency opened, the Boston Bruins’ roster is more or less set. The biggest priority remains re-signing Jeremy Swayman to a new contract, but other than that, there likely won’t be any more players signing in Boston this offseason, with the possible exception of a low-cost veteran on a two-way contract or Professional Tryout Agreement (PTO).

Besides that, the players currently under contract will be the ones competing for a roster spot in October, and given the way things are laid out, it’s possible a younger prospect without much NHL experience will have the opportunity to take the leap up. At least, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said as much.

“I would say that [Georgii Merkulov] and [Fabian Lysell] or Riley Duran 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 said on July 1. “If you’re the best player, then we find a way to get you in the lineup. You have to sustain it as you’re going along.”

Clearly, there are a few players that Sweeney mentioned by name that are on the Bruins’ radar for a chance to win a roster spot going into next season. First, we looked at Merkulov, and today we’ll evaluate Lysell.

Fabian Lysell, Forward

Age: 21

Draft Position: 2021 1st Round, 21st overall

2023-24 stats:

• AHL – 56 GP, 15G-35A-50P

In three years since they drafted him, the Bruins have patiently encouraged Lysell’s development. While his buy-in has been questioned at times, he now has two AHL seasons under his belt and will have the best opportunity to make the NHL roster that he’s had in his young career.

Part of that is due to the growth in his game. After scoring 37 points in Providence in 2022-23, Lysell bumped his production up to 50 points this season. However, offense has always been his calling card, and it’s growth in the other phases of the game that the Bruins are hoping to see.

While reaching peak form in Providence, Lysell suffered an upper-body injury in late March that sidelined him for the rest of the season. He was not present for Bruins development camp in early July, but Bruins Player Development Coordinator Adam McQuaid laid out what Lysell needs to do in order to move up to the next level.

“For Fabian, just to come in and be confident and not have to overcomplicate things,” McQuaid said. “He’s skilled, we know what he’s capable of. He doesn’t need to necessarily set the world on fire, but just come in and be a reliable player and create opportunities when they’re there.”

This leads to the other reason why Lysell has an inside track to make the NHL roster this season, which lies out of his control. The Bruins need to fill out their wing depth, and they’re hoping Lysell can provide that.

PuckPedia estimates the Bruins have just over $8.6 million in cap space for next season, while Spotrac lists it at around $10.3 million. The overwhelming majority of that will go to Swayman’s new contract, so the Bruins will need to rely on younger players with upside on cheaper contracts to make up the difference. In Lysell, the Bruins may have just that.