Colorado Avalanche
· 2026-06-30
The Colorado Avalanche have acquired Fabian Lysell from the Boston Bruins, aiming to unlock the former first-round pick's stalled talent.
The Avalanche traded Ivan Ivan, a depth forward, to the Bruins in exchange for Lysell, who has appeared in just 12 NHL games.
Lysell was drafted 21st overall in 2021 and has shown flashes of his potential, but has yet to find consistency at the NHL level.
The Avalanche have a history of revitalizing players, with Andre Burakovsky and Valeri Nichushkin being notable examples.
Nichushkin's career stalled with the Dallas Stars, but he developed into a key player for the Avalanche, becoming an indispensable piece of their championship core.
Lysell will join the Avalanche for offseason training and pre-camp preparation, with the spotlight on how quickly he can translate his talent into trust at the NHL level.
The Avalanche are currently standing 1st in the Western Conference, with a 55-16 record, on a W3 streak, after losing 2-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights on 2026-05-27.
Lysell developed in Sweden, spending parts of two seasons with Luleå HF in the SHL, before being selected in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft.
He found immediate offensive success with the WHL's Vancouver Giants in 2021-22, finishing with 62 points in 53 regular-season games.
The Avalanche are hoping Lysell can follow in the footsteps of Burakovsky and Nichushkin, and become a key contributor to their lineup.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney acknowledged that Lysell's development was a complex issue, and that the team could have done more to support him.
Lysell's reset begins now, and the Avalanche will be watching closely to see how quickly he can adapt to their system.
The Avalanche's ability to unlock Lysell's potential will be crucial to their success, and they will be hoping he can make an immediate impact.
Lysell's international experience includes representing Sweden at the 2021 U18 World Championship.
The Avalanche's trade for Lysell is a low-risk, high-upside move, and they will be hoping it pays off in the long run.