In this episode of Poke the Bear, Conor Ryan and Evan Marinofsky discuss the Bruins recent exhibitions as well as their developments through training camp. Who is standing out early? Who could make a push for a spot in the rotation?
They delve into Fabian Lysell, who had a big bounce-back performance, as well as Georgii Merkulov and Joonas Korpisalo, who are off to a strong start. Their conversation turns to whether we should be concerned about Elias Lindholm, and if Morgan Geekie is the front-runner for the top 6.
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10 Comments
Tyler Johnson's screen had much to do with Lysell's goal.
Unfortunately ea just copy and pastes there shit, the franchise mode looks better, but I agree Evan we bought it for EASHL played maybe 2 months and I’m like ya I’m good, we’re gonna just wait till it’s cheap at Christmas or in the new year, the game is trash now. FC, NHL and madden are more copy and paste than cod for god sakes, ncaa is fun and feels different but ea is garbage.
I'm less concerned about the rookies then I am about Carlo playing like a bum making shit shots and stupid turnovers, Also Macavoy needs to step up and be more aggressive on the ice. Pasta also needs to get his head back into the game, dude was all but useless in the post season.
Poitra looks stockier and stronger than he did last year. He supposedly added 10 lbs and it definitely showed along the boards. He wasn't getting knocked on his ass constantly like he was last year.
Merkulov & Lysell aren't good enough to make the team right now.
Sure both have been on the okay side in the preseason but okay is not going to have Merkulov beat Poitras out for the 3C job and okay is not going to be good enough for Lysell to beat out Poitras, Geekie, Frederic, Brazzeau and or Tyler Johnson for the 2RW spot.
Game one in the preseason for both wasn't great. Lysell was invisible and Merkulov was just slightly more noticeable.
Game two Lysell got the goal but if you take that goal away he wasn't great away from the puck by any stretch. Merkulov played okay in game two of the preseason but he wasn't overly noticeable
Again, both are going to have to show far more the rest of the preseason to win a spot on opening night because right now it doesn't look like either is anywhere near a lock to make the team, in fact, it seems as though as of today, neither is going to make the big club out of camp
However, if either displayed the compete level & intensity of lesser offensively gifted forward prospects like Trevor Kuntar or Riley Duran both would already probably be locks to make the team and that's what's most disappointing because it's not about either's offensive upside it's everything else.
Right now neither is doing nearly enough on the "everything else" front & it's not like either has been some kind of dominating offensive force either so hopefully they both realize this crap and bring the high energy, intensity and compete level to every pre-season game they play in moving forward
Are both complete zeros as prospects, not even close as both Lysell and even Merkulov could still easily still pan out but…Let's not forget…
Merkulov went undrafted in his three eligible draft years because…
-He lacks NHL size
-He lacks NHL speed
-He's below average on faceoffs
-He's at the lowest end of average defensively
-His play away from the puck hasn't been described as "good" anywhere and more like "needs improvement" everywhere
Merkulov has some offensive flash to his game but his overall shortcomings will always likely see him be more of a Jack Studnika type, in other words, his marginal offensive upside can't make up for all of his shortcomings as a player at the NHL level
As for Fabian Lysell, he was one of the most polarizing players in his draft year
Some scouts had him in the Top 10, others had him as a late 1st and even a 2nd round pick
Why?
-Lack of compete level
-Low motor too often
-Disinterested without the puck on his stick
-Not great away from the puck with the details
-Bad attitude and body language far too often
-Not ever going to be considered anything close to a two way, defensively responsible player
Lysell has elite NHL speed and hands but all the negatives with him have flashed far more often than his elite skills, which is why many scouts were down on him in the first place
If Lysell fails to make the Bruins and he has a less than stellar year in PVD,… Lysell will enter potential 1st round bust territory to add to some of Don Sweeney's other 1st round busts like Senyshyn & Zboril
Lysell hasn't earned 2RW as Geekie Frederic Johnson & even Brazzeau have looked better thus far & Merkulov likely only makes the team if Poitras doesn't and that doesn't seem, well, all that likely
Odds and their play so far in the preseason say both likely start the year in Providence which will once again, be a further indictment on Don Sweeney's inability to draft & develop enough internal talent
These two are also Don Sweeney's best forward prospects outisde of a about 4 years away Dean Letorneau who's a few months removed from high school Canadian hockey
Yeah!!! there's a gaggle of bottom 6 guys that won't score in the NHL like Duran Kuntar & Farinacci at forward & a few bottom of the roster d-men like Brunet and Jackson Edward but the prospect pool lacks real Top 6 forward talent and Top 4 d-men and forget about goalie as it's a declining Svevdeback and nothing else
Bussi is 25. Dipietro is 26. Neither is basically a prospect anymore. Too old
It's fairly obvious why the Bruins prospect pool is ranked in the toilet. There simply isn't very many real NHL players in it & their best prospects don't look all that good right now
What do the mid tier prospects look like?
Um, for the most part, those mid level guys don't look that good either unless you're in love with bottom 6 non scoring forwards & #5-#8 d-men because that's what makes up 95% of anything that's in their prospect pool today that may make the NHL one day
Lysell Merkulov Letourneau & maybe Jellvik are the only prospects that could be Top 6 forwards in the NHL & not a single one of them is anywhere near a lock to reach that ceiling presently
Brunet Myenberg & Jackson Edward are the only real NHL dmen in their crap Farm System on defense and all three project as bottom pair guys or backups
But get Don Sweeney another one of those GM of the Year awards stat :0
-That great farm system of theirs
-Failing to win more than 1 playoff round in 8 of the last 9 years
-One 2nd round series playoff win in 9 years as GM, ONE!!!
-The Swayman contract debacle
Man oh Man, Sweeney just keeps hitting it out of the park time and time again 😭😭😭
The Elindholm undisclosed injury is what I am most concerned about at this junction. Some channels claim that he might miss the season as it is pain-related. Regardless, I'd be staying close to this one as the B's would be set back to defending the opposing team's center and finding playing making ability to ignite that first line.
Sorry, but you’re gonna have a hard time convincing a fan base that on average makes about 60,000 a year who simultaneously spends a couple thousand a year on tickets that 6 million a year isn’t enough for a man to play a child’s game. With all due respect to Swayman and his game, you haven’t accomplished shit bro.
This is definitely a generational issue, these kids today just assume that they are entitled to that kind of money. You’ve done absolutely nothing in the playoffs and at the end of the day that’s all that matters.
You want to be an 8 million a year goalie? Without ever seeing the conference finals?😂 I hope management trades him for a right wing who can score 25+ goals.
If I was Sweeney, I would send Swayman another offer, one year and $1 million less than the original offer. Fuck around and find out. See how he likes playing for a team that can only fill up their arena to 25% capacity and never makes the playoffs.