The Colorado Avalanche acquired wing Fabian Lysell in a late-June trade with the Boston Bruins, as Ivan Ivan went the other way in the transaction. On one hand, the move was a bit surprising, given Lysell’s lack of NHL experience paired with the fact that he is a former first-round draft pick.
Lysell has spent the majority of his four seasons post-draft with the Bruins’ AHL affiliate of the same name, which resides in Providence, Rhode Island. There, he played in 219 games, recording 57 goals and 106 assists.
Now, despite not currently under contract, Lysell has a chance to impress early on, particularly in training camp. He is credited with good speed and a chance of succeeding offensively. As noted by several sources, Lysell was just not the right fit with the Bruins and that’s what ultimately sealed his time with the organization.
That gives Avalanche fans hope. It’s not that he was a bad draft pick overall—it’s that the team who drafted him just wasn’t the right fit. Now, that’s not to say he will absolutely become a regular NHLer for the Avalanche, but it’s nice to have the understanding that his failed tenure in Boston wasn’t necessarily his fault.
In Colorado, Lysell would likely play a fourth-line wing spot. Though Parker Kelly is listed as the fourth-line left wing, maybe Lysell plugs in there sometimes. He might also be a decent fit on the right wing, in place of Zachary L’Heureux, depending on matchups. The nice thing for someone like Lysell is that the fourth line can often be changed up, giving someone like him more chances to make a difference.
The addition of Lysell is a low-risk move. While they gave up a primarily-AHL player in Ivan, the there is really only up from here for Lysell. The hope is that he will end up back on his feet early on in training camp and competes for a roster spot. If he doesn’t make it out of camp, he would probably remain with the Eagles with a chance of coming up if he impresses.
The Bruins used a first-round pick on him while Colorado gave up a former undrafted player who played in 49 games for the Avs, including 40 in 2024-25, and had five goals and four assists.
Ivan probably was not going to play a lot in the NHL with the Avalanche unless injuries forced him to. Perhaps the team can change Lysell’s career around to make it obvious they won the trade.
If not, he’ll be an AHL regular.
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