When the Colorado Avalanche signed Valeri Nichushkin as a free agent ahead of the 2019-20 season, they were taking on a reclamation project.
Nichushkin was the 10th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. But by the time the Dallas Stars gave up on him, the Russian forward had essentially earned a “bust” label.
So, the Avalanche made a seemingly low-risk, high-reward move by inking Nichushkin to a one-year, $850K deal in 2019.
The move paid off. Nichuskin sort of languished in Colorado’s lineup until breaking out during the 2021-22 season. During the 2022 postseason, the physical winger was instrumental in helping the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup.
Of course, we all know how the situation with Nichuskin ended. But the overall story serves as a comp for what could be another reclamation project leading to a notable breakout.
That candidate is Fabian Lysell.
Lysell, like Nichuskin, is a seemingly failed prospect. He fell down the Boston Bruins’ depth chart, leading the organization to trade him for Ivan Ivan. It’s not that Ivan is a bad player. But trading a former first-round pick for an undrafted prospect says a lot about Lysell’s falling stock.
It seems, nonetheless, that the Avalanche believe that there’s untapped potential in Lysell. And if the move pays off, Lysell could be the next Nichushkin in Colorado.
Lysell didn’t get a fair shake in Boston
Unfortunately for the 23-year-old, he didn’t quite get a fair chance to show what he could do in Boston. The Bruins gave him 12 games during the 2024-25 season. He notched one goal and three points during that span.
Lysell then spent all of last season in the AHL, racking up 17 goals and 42 points in 57 games in Providence.
The numbers are highly encouraging, and show that there’s potential for more there.
That said, the hardest part for Lysell won’t be showing that he has the sort of skill set needed in the NHL. It’s finding an opportunity to show what he can do. With the Avalanche’s loaded lineup, the chance may be hard to come by.
Avalanche could face tough choice in training camp
So, let’s assume for a minute that Lysell has a strong camp this fall. That situation could lead to a tough choice for the Avalanche.
While Lysell isn’t going to displace any of the top nine forwards, there might be a chance that the former 21st-overall pick from 2021 could find a foothold on the fourth line. It’s worth noting that Lysell isn’t a fourth-line grinder. But he is the sort of player who could add some pop to the bottom six. If he can deliver some time scoring much like Victor Oloffson did during the first half of last season, Lysell may just stick around.
The likeliest path here is that Lysell starts the season in the AHL. He’s not really a waiver risk at this point. Unless there was a team out there really desperate for some depth, Lysell likely starts the year with the Colorado Eagles.
From there, it might just be a question of biding his time until an opportunity opens up.
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