Fabian Lysell learning from NHL experience
Fabian Lysell got a taste of the NHL last season with the Bruins. The 22-year-old forward played 12 games with the team, appearing in seven consecutive matchups in April. Lysell has leaned on that experience coming into training camp.
“It was obviously really nice to get that call-up and to be able to play a couple games in a row,” Lysell said. “That really helped with the confidence and just being able to see how everything works up here. It definitely feels good coming in with that in the back of my mind.”
The stint informed Lysell’s offseason training. He said he worked “a little bit harder” in the gym and always tried to go 100% when he skated to mimic the game tempo. Lysell wants to add a heightened physicality to his game, too.
“I feel immediately that I trust more in my body,” he said. “I feel like I can use it to my advantage, maybe more than I felt before.”
Lysell is immediately battling for a more consistent NHL role after his 34-point (11 goals, 23 assists) showing in the AHL last season. For the first two days of training camp, Lysell has skated on a line with Johnny Beecher and Fraser Minten.
“It’s just a lot of fun,” Lysell said. “Trying to take it day by day and see all the older guys – how they work every day and how they prepare. I am just trying to follow and compete every day. We’ll see what happens.”
Pavel Zacha shares personal expectations
Pavel Zacha believes he has more to give.
The forward finished the 2024-25 campaign with 47 points (14 goals, 33 assists) in 82 games, but is working to inflate those numbers as game one of the regular season nears.
“I think every year you want to get better, but I think for sure it was a little bit of a decline performance-wise there. I wanted to be better offensively,” Zacha said.
“I want to go back to the numbers, even better than I had the first two years here. I think it starts in training camp. I feel healthy and good coming in, and it is something I focused on doing videos and all that stuff in the offseason and try to get better with where to be in the offensive zone and creating more chances around there for myself.”
Sturm has put Zacha at his natural center position to open training camp. Zacha said his new head coach likes him in the pivot position and, if need be, feels comfortable using him on the wing, too. Zacha skated between Matěj Blümel and Tanner Jeannot during the first two days of practice.
Zacha has gotten to know Blümel away from the ice – both are from Czechia. Blümel stayed with Zacha for a week when first arriving in Boston.
“He’s a great kid. He was great in the house, too. He cleaned his dishes and everything like that. That was nice,” Zacha said. “He seems very nice but hardworking. I see him at the gym here, one of the first guys. It’s great to see, especially on a team like Boston. We want hard-working people to come in and perform here. It’s a good step for him.”
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