3 Bruins Signee Who Could Make Their NHL Debuts This Season after trade deal agreed with Oilers
The Boston Bruins began rookie camp on Wednesday at Warrior Arena, and the list of players participating did not include some of the top prospects in the organization. The top two young stars on the Bruins Benders Podcast Top 30 were not present. Forwards Georgii Merkulov and Fabian Lysell will both be fighting for a spot on the Bruins roster this season but will not be on the Bruins rookie roster for the upcoming Prospect Challenge in Buffalo.
Recent draft picks Dean Letourneau, Jonathan Morello, and Elliott Groenewold are also not at camp. Letourneau, who was the Bruins’ first-round pick in this year’s draft, will begin his freshman season at Boston College. Morello, who has committed to Boston University for the 2025-26 season, will play in the USHL for the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Groenewold participated in development camp in July but will join the Quinnipiac University hockey club this season. Sixth-round selection Loke Johansson will participate before the big defenseman plays for the Moncton Wildcats in the OHL this season.
The Boston Bruins have a few question marks heading into the season that I’m sure they would like to erase after losing key players to free agency or trades this summer. They also have a few restricted free agents (*cough cough* Jeremy Swayman) who have yet to be re-signed.
On the bright side, what the Bruins didn’t do was mortgage the future and make a monster trade for a player they weren’t 100 percent sure would jell with the rest of the squad or would only be a one-year, short-term fix. That means their prospects will have a chance to shine and prove their worth in the preseason and some into the regular season.
Now, I’m going out on a bit of a limb with this pick, but from what we’ve seen from Riley Duran in his limited time with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Providence Bruins, fans have to be impressed. In 11 regular-season games with the P-Bruins, Duran collected four points (two goals, two assists) and just two penalty minutes. He was held off the scoreboard in the playoffs but did not sit in the penalty box in any of the four games in the Calder Cup playoffs.
After he was drafted in the first round of the 2021 Draft, there was plenty of optimism surrounding Fabian Lysell. That optimism grew when fans saw Lysell put up 83 points (26 goals, 57 assists) in 65 games for the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He was known for his speed and passing before then, but he solidified that reputation in those 65 games.
Matt Poitras was rumored to play with the rookies but is not on the list. The 20-year-old center had shoulder surgery in the offseason and appears to be ready to go when the veterans join camp on September 18. Riley Duran is number three on the Bruins Benders Podcast Top 30 and will be one of the players to watch at Rookie Camp. The Woburn native has progressed extremely well after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft.
