On the second day of the NHL draft, Bruins select seven players, deal Fabian Lysell to the Avalanche
The Bruins rolled out the welcome mat on Saturday to a gaggle of wide-eyed teenaged draftees, and along the way said so long to Fabian Lysell, their top pick in the NHL entry draft five years ago, in an early-afternoon trade with the Colorado Avalanche.
The speedy Lysell, who played in only a dozen games with the Bruins varsity in his four pro seasons, was flipped for Ivan Ivan, a 23-year-old center from Czechia with 49 games on his Colorado/NHL resume.
Both Lysell and Ivan are restricted free agents and must be tendered qualifying offers prior to Wednesday in order to steer them clear of becoming unrestricted free agents. General manager Don Sweeney confirmed early in the evening the Bruins will offer Ivan a qualifying offer.
Ivan turned pro with the Avalanche in the summer of 2023 after going undrafted during his three-year stint with his Cape Brent junior team in the QMJHL. He has spent the majority of his pro career with the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate .
Bruins coach Marco Sturm coached the AHL Ontario Reign in Ivan’s first season with the AHL Colorado Eagles and, per Sweeney, offered input on the Bruins adding him to the organization.
Lysell, once high on the Bruins prospect list and projected as a potential high-end scorer, never demonstrated that touch after the Bruins selected him at No. 21 in 2021. He failed to impress in his last couple of pre-season camps and exhibition seasons with the varsity, his career stuck in neutral during his extended stay with AHL Providence.
Sweeney acknowledged that Lysell thus far “hasn’t fully grasped” what it takes to play at the NHL level and he discussed that during the day with Lysell.
“He took ownership of that,” said Sweeney. “We took ownership of that. Could we have done more and better in supporting him? Probably…the grind and making the jump to the pro game is a lot.”
Otherwise, less than 24 hours after executing Friday’s trade with Utah for German-born right winger JJ Peterka, the Bruins settled into standard draft mode, albeit with a heavy accent on acquiring overseas talent.
The 2026 EuroBruins took Yuri Ivanov, a Russian goalie, with their first pick of the day (No. 56), and followed with Swedish winger Nils Bartholdsson at No. 88 and Russian winger Matvei Kotkov at No. 104.
Ivanov and the “majority of the picks” taken Saturday are expected to be at this week’s development camp in Brighton that will run Monday through Thursday.
Read more Ty Dillon ready for another Denny Hamlin showdown as NASCAR In-Season Challenge begins at Sonoma
The development timeline for Ivanov in particular, Sweeney noted, is expected to be lengthy. The Bruins expect he’ll play at least two more seasons in Russia prior to making the move to the NHL.
After dishing off their scheduled fourth pick at No. 111 in a minor swap with the Penguins, the Bruins used pick No. 122 to select Oscar Olsson, another Swedish winger, before finally turning to North American stock at No. 157 by selecting Jacob Vandeven, a 6-foot-5-inch, 200-pound, quick-footed defenseman who played eight games last season with the OHL London Knights.
The Black and Gold scouting department’s dalliance in North America was brief, but the next pick did come with a local tie.
The Bruins used draft spot No. 170 to select incoming Boston College freshman Roberto Henriquez, a 6-1, 165-pound goalie born in Bratislava, Slovakia, not far from the hometown of Bruins legend Zdeno Chara.
Henriquez played the last season-plus with the USHL Green Bay Gamblers, posting an impressive 21-9-4 record, a 2.22 goals- against average, and .921 save percentage and two shutouts.
Finally, with their last pick (No. 216), the Bruins nabbed Cullen McCrate, a 6-1, 199-pound defenseman from Adrian, Mich. McCrate played the last two seasons in the USHL and is headed to Michigan State.
Ivanov became second Russian goalie drafted in club history.
In 1994, the Bruins chose little-known Evgeni Ryabchikov with their first-round pick (No. 21 overall). He came to North America that fall, never landed a spot on the Boston roster, and returned to Russia for good in 1999.
Reached by the Globe at his home in Sweden, Bartholdsson said he models his game somewhat after Viktor Arvidsson, the Swedish winger who is about to become an unrestricted free agent and might not extend his stay with the Bruins.
“I’m always working hard,” said Bartholdsson, “playing offensive, skating much and shooting.”
Read more Renewed strikes threaten setback to shipping recovery in Persian Gulf
Jim McBride of the Globe Staff contributed from Buffalo.
Post Comment