Lysell has started the season with the Providence Bruins in the AHL, and is showing himself to be a weapon in the minors. He has opened the year scoring four goals and adding three assists in the first eight games, but be weary of the gaudy 28.6% shooting percentage he is currently carrying. Lysell has shot closer to 12.5% in the AHL, and the goals won’t continue if the shot rates don’t lift.

That Lysell still hasn’t earned or been given extended looks at the NHL level gives some pause for the future value of the young winger- at least in the Bruins’ organization. He is in his fourth year at the AHL level, and his performance has been solid throughout. Boston will need to give him an NHL audition soon, or move him to another team before his value as both a player and a fantasy asset diminishes.

Lysell is only just about to be 23 years old, so by no means is he getting long in the tooth, but fantasy hockey rosters are littered with once-hyped 20 year old prospects who become solid 25 year old AHL mainstays. If managers in your league are getting worried about the future prospects of Lysell’s fantasy value, you’d be wise to take a gamble and knock on their door. Lysell still has value, a team just needs to unlock it and give it a chance to shine.

Lysell is a rush-chance machine. He has been one of the Bruins’ top prospects since being drafted but has yet to get an extended look in the NHL. Outside of an 11-game stretch at the end of the season, during which he played in the NHL, Lysell spent nearly the entirety of the season in the AHL. His AHL production took a step back from 50 points in 56 games last year to 34 points in 52 games this year. However, his NHL stint showed some promise, with Lysell netting his first goal and three points, all of which came in his final four NHL games of the year. What is frustrating about Lysell is the concerns around his ability to play a team game. As one of the most gifted individual players, not just in the AHL but in the world, Lysell has adjusted to doing everything himself. At lower levels, that could work. In the NHL, that does not work. For him to earn an extended look with the Bruins out of training camp, Lysell will need to work off his teammates more or head to the AHL. If Boston finds that he is unable to play within a system, they will likely dangle him as trade bait to acquire a big-name player, and Lysell could unlock his sky-high potential elsewhere.

Missing significant time towards the end of the season, Lysell still put together a productive season with Providence. Recording 15 goals and 35 assists in 56 games, he experienced the expected increase in production from the season prior while playing in just two more games. While recognizing Lysell’s production in the AHL, it is difficult to ignore that he has yet to be called up to the NHL for even a short stint. A prospect with middle-six potential, Lysell is facing a crucial campaign in determining his future in Boston and NHL potential.