Here's the problem I have with Lysell and the matter of him playing in Boston.
There is a presumption that he should come up to Boston and see if he can be part of the solution to the Bruins lack of offense and speed and quality youth. But: he's 22, in his 3rd AHL season, and he's got 10 goals this season. Where does the presumption about his NHL contribution come from? "Why is he not in Boston?" One reason is that he isn't a world beater in the AHL.
It's not like this is an off season for him. He's got 39 career AHL goals (0 NHL, 1GP) in his 3 pro seasons. I would argue that he is not exactly kicking the door down to get into the Boston lineup. I also never buy the fantasy narrative that says the AHL player is not producing because they asked him to concentrate on other facets of his game. C'mon.
Despite that, I'm not writing him off because what's the reason to do so? I do think he should get time in Boston, an extended audition (meaning 10+ games with real minutes) and see what happens. For one thing, I completely don't buy the model that says that your bottom 6 players have to be rugged, defensively oriented, willing to mix it up, bigger, etc. Where "bottom 6" is code for "not very skillful but will play with jam." I'd like them to be a lot more flexible, a lot less rigid, about their notions of where certain players can and cannot play in the lineup. I mean Marchand was on the 4th line once upon a time.
All I'm saying is, it's not like Lysell is caught up in a conspiracy to hold down a player who really should be playing in Boston, at least in the sense where he has clearly earned that and there is an injustice going on, and if he comes up they are on their way to more goals. But given the state of the team and their need to start charting a different course for the future, why not give him and others a shot? At his age, in their situation, what's the harm? Worst case is he plays for a month, is ineffectual, and you reevaluate his path forward from there. I think it's very much an open question of how much he will produce at the NHL level but let's find out.
One of the most notable times when the Bruins made a really big pivot at the trade deadline, where they really shifted from win-now to the future, was in 1997 when they sent Oates, Tocchet, Ranford to the Capitals for Jason Allison, Anson Carter, Jim Carey, and draft picks. It was a slap in the face to fans at the time but it brought in some interesting younger players, some of who were a big part of the team for the years to come. This season sure looks like an opportunity to do something similar, at least to the extent of shipping out several veterans and hunkering down with youth and a future movement. In that scenario, Lysell would be the type of player you'd hand a job to, this season at least, and let's see what things look like heading into the summer.
