As we enter the month of April, it is the final month of the 2021-22 regular season for a number of Boston Bruins prospects with their current teams. In this edition of the Bruins Prospects Report, we look at how some of the Black and Gold’s prospects are faring in the USHL, Western Hockey League (WHL), and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
Lysell Breaks Scoring Slump for Vancouver
The Bruins’ 2021 first-round pick at No. 21, Fabian Lysell, leads the Vancouver Giants in the WHL in goals, assists, and points, but was recently mired in a scoring slump. The 19-year-old is the first-line right wing for the Giants, but had not scored a goal since March 12, a streak that lasted seven games before he scored a shorthanded goal Sunday night in a 4-1 loss to the Spokane Chiefs.
Lysell leads Vancouver with 21 goals and 33 assists for 54 points. He has five power play goals and eight power play assists. There are six games remaining on the schedule for the Giants and they are still in the hunt for a postseason berth, but when their season ends, it would not be surprising to see him find his way to the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) or maybe a long shot in Boston? Time will tell, but there is no doubt that with his talent and skill, he’s not too far from finding himself a full-time NHL job.
Gasseau & Langenbrunner Teammates With Fargo Force
Andre Gasseau and Mason Langenbrunner were each selected in the last two Entry Drafts and both are making an impact as teammates on the Fargo Force in the USHL.
Related: Bruins Prospects Report: Lohrei, Schmaltz, Beecher & More
Gasseau is third on the Force in points with 33 on 18 goals and 15 assists. The 213th pick in 2021 has a team-leading 133 shots on the net and recorded a season-high seven and recorded a hat trick in a 4-3 win over the Sioux City Musketeers. A left-shot, the 6-foot-4, 209-pound forward has a strong shot and is not afraid to be a net-front presence. He had a goal in Saturday night’s 7-1 win over the Omaha Lancers from a tough angle, but it shows how aggressive he is getting shots on the net.
Langenbrunner was selected in the fifth round in 2020 and the right-shot defenseman is having a strong season. He has two goals and 17 assists, including two against the Lancers Saturday night, with a team-high plus/minus of plus-8. The 6-foot-3, 179-pound blueliner is a strong two-way player and is the son of Bruins’ Director of Player Development Jamie Langenbrunner.
Gasseau will attend Boston College next season for legendary coach Jerry York and will be teammates with fellow Bruins draft pick Trevor Kuntar, while Langenbrunner will also head to the Boston area next fall and play for former Boston Bruin Ted Donato at Harvard University
Harrison Continues Big Season With Oshawa
When the Bruins selected Brett Harrison in the third round of the 2021 Draft and 85th overall, they very well could end up with a steal as he was projected to be a second-round pick last July, but was still on the board when general manager (GM) Don Sweeney picked a round later. A left-shot center, the 6-foot-3 and 175-pound Harrison has size and toughness.
In 61 games this season, Harrison is second on the Oshawa Generals, who qualified for the playoffs Sunday, in the OHL with 25 goals and 30 assists, good enough for 55 points. He has 201 shots on the net and trails teammate Ty Tullio, who leads the team with 38 goals and 43 assists with a team-high 283 shots on the net. In Friday’s 4-3 shootout win over the Kingston Frontenacs, Harrison tied the game late in the third period with a power play goal.
Harrison likes to play in front of the net and has a good shot, which was on display Friday night when he tied the game. He took a pass and wasted little time in getting off a wrist shot. Not only does he have quick hands on his shot, but he has won 56(%)-percent of his faceoffs this season.
Svedeback Playing Well in USHL
The Bruins selected goaltender Philip Svedeback in the fourth round, 117th overall, in the 2021 Draft, and the youngster from Sweden is playing well with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL. He has played in 22 games and owns a 13-7-2 record and stopped 18 of 19 shots in a 2-1 overtime win over the Waterloo Black Hawks Saturday night. Svedeback is an aggressive goalie that cuts down angels, but also makes good reactionary saves like the one below against the Black Hawks.
He is ninth in the USHL with a 3.10 goals-against average (GAA) and a .908 save percentage (SV%). The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Svedeback will enter his freshman season at Providence College next season, to join fellow Bruins prospect Riley Duran on the Friars. Boston signed former Western Michigan goalie Brandon Bossi to an entry-level contract on March 30. The Bruins have some young goaltending depth and Svedeback adds to that for the future after his NCAA stint.
At the trade deadline, Sweeney did not part ways with many prospects, just Urho Vaakanainen when he was sent to the Anaheim Ducks in the trade that brought Hampus Lindholm to the Bruins. The Bruins’ prospect pool is not as deep as other organizations, but there is no doubt there is some high-end talent that could be in the NHL sooner rather than later.