The Boston Bruins are benefiting from some significant contributions early in the 2023–24 season from two of their forward prospects, John Beecher and Matthew Poitras. Following those two, there are some uncertainties over the makeup of the remaining prospect pool for Black and Gold.We will examine some of the prospects’ performance in the USHL and the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Providence Bruins in the most recent edition of the Bruins Prospects Report.
Lysell Fabian
It’s been said before and it will be said again: Fabian Lysell, one of the Bruins’ best prospects, is having a great season. During his first full season in the pros, in 2022–2023 the gifted forward led Providence with 14 goals and 23 assists. It is significant that he advances to the AHL this season as the 21st overall choice in the 2021 Entry Draft.
He has six goals and eight assists in 18 games for Providence. He scored 22 goals and 40 assists in 53 games during his one and only season in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Vancouver Giants in 2021–2022, and he added four goals and 17 assists in 12 postseason contests.
The Bruins will have a few free agents available in the upcoming offseason, and Lysell’s ability to join the NHL in 2024–2025 is crucial. When he’s on the ice, his skill set is evident, and during the past two seasons in the AHL, his shot has gotten better. Boston needs to move on and take the next step as quickly as possible.
Farinacci John
Playing for Providence this season has been one of the more pleasant shocks. John Farnacci signed a two-year entry-level deal in August. Under former Bruin Ted Donato, the 22-year-old had 39 assists and 23 goals in three seasons at Harvard.
With 17 points from six goals and 11 assists, he leads Providence in scoring. The 6-foot-0, 185-pound center is also not scared to take shots, as seen by the 35 that find the back of the net. Ryan Mougenel, the P-Bruins coach, plays him in all situations and gives him top-six minutes.
Harrison Brett
Brett Harrison was one player who, following his time with the Oshawa Generals and Windsor Spitfires, opened some eyes with his play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) past season. After being traded to the Spitfires, he played on a line with Seattle Kraken prospect Shane Wright, and the two teams combined for 67 games in 2022–2023 with 34 goals and 35 assists.
He has only participated in 11 games in his first full professional season, which has limited his output to just two goals and two assists.
The London, Ontario native was chosen in the third round of the 2021 Draft, 85th overall. He has an incredible skill set, and the Bruins feel like they got a great deal when they drafted him at the position they did. On December 1, the 20-year-old left-shot defeated the Bridgeport Islanders 6-1 to record his first goal of the year.
Both Pelosi and Hendrickson Making in the USHL
Bruins general manager (GM) Don Sweeney chose to draft centers in the 2023 Entry Draft because they were a need for his team at the time. He made Poitras his 54th overall selection in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft, and the 19-year-old is a key member of the 2023–24 Black and Gold. The Sioux Falls Stampede, who were taken a year later, are enjoying a successful USHL season. (from ‘Bruins make five draft selections, pivot to immediate future, Boston Herald, June 29, 2023).
The Stampede’s leading scorers are Christopher Pelosi and Beckett Hendrickson, in that order. Six-foot-2 left-hander Hendrickson was selected by Sweeney in the fourth round, 124th overall. In 22 games, he has 13 assists and seven goals.
Pelosi has 11 goals and 10 assists in 22 games for Sioux Falls since her selection in the third round, 92nd overall. The 6-foot-1 left-shot is powerful with the puck and has superb net coverage. On December 1, the Stampede defeated the Waterloo Black Hawks 4-2, and on December 2, they defeated the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 7-1, with goals from Hendrickson and Pelosi.
Pelosi has committed to Quinnipiac University, which won the NCAA Championship last spring, while Hendrickson has committed to play hockey at the University of Minnesota. The Bruins like both players because they are both strong, powerful forwards.
Once more, the Bruins have a mediocre pool of prospects in the NHL, but some of them have contributed this season in Boston, while others, like Lysell and Harrison, will need time to develop. It’s encouraging that Hendrickson and Pelosi are off to a strong start in Sioux Falls.
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