BOSTON — The speculation proved accurate.
When the Bruins signed Elias Lindholm on the first day of free agency this summer, media around the NHL began projecting a line where the former Canuck landed between David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha on Boston’s top line.
That’s exactly the unit Jim Montgomery assembled to open training camp practice on Thursday at Warrior Arena.
The potential linemates got off to a bit of a slow start, but found a rhythm and potted a tic-tac-toe goal during practice.
Montgomery liked what he saw from the line, noting they stood out during practice.
With Brad Marchand out, Tyler Johnson moved into his spot on Charlie Coyle’s left wing. But the more interesting part of that line was Fabian Lysell on the right wing. The rookie, who has shown offensive promise is expected to be one of several players competing for a chance to play with Coyle and Marchand.
Bruins goalies building, competing without Swayman — With Jeremy Swayman not on the ice for the first day of training camp practice, Joonas Korpisalo and Brandon Bussi saw time in goal Thursday at Warrior Ice Arena. The duo are the Bruins’ primary options until Swayman, an unsigned restricted free agent signs a new contract.
At the same time, Korpisalo and Bussi are preparing for the season as a tandem if Swayman remains unsigned while competing against each other to be his backup for whenever he returns.
“Just go out there, give it your best, earn everything,” Bussi said. “That’s the Bruin motto. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Bussi, who signed with the Bruins as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan in 2022, has been knocking on the door of an NHL debut after having two consecutive strong seasons for Providence in the AHL.
“I think what gives us confidence is he has the ability to make big-time saves,” coach Jim Montgomery said. “We’ve seen that in Providence, we saw that here last year in that first exhibition game and that incredible save he made. But also, it’s his second and third effort. We talk about Bruins having that, and that’s something that he has in the crease.”
Korpisalo, who was acquired by the Bruins in the Linus Ullmark trade, is working on rebuilding his game after struggling last year in Ottawa. That process isn’t affected by Swayman’s absence.
“It doesn’t change my job, and quite frankly, I just want to focus on my job,” Korpisalo said on Thursday after practice. “Of course, he’s a great guy. I got to work with him before the camp. Great guy, great goalie. Just focusing on myself.
Brad Marchand skated before the start of the first session — As expected, the Bruins captain, who had three offseason surgeries, did not participate in practice. He did skate on his own beforehand. He’s not expected to be out long, but there’s no specific timetable for his return.
Several standouts — Montgomery was pleased with the pace of Thursday’s practice and was happy to see the intensity his players brought, including some of the younger players.
“I thought (Charlie) McAvoy stood out, I thought the (Elias) Lindholm line stood out. (Nikita) Zadorov stood out. The (Riley) Tufte line (with Georgii Merkulov and Vinni Lettieri) I thought was really good,” Montgomery said. “There weren’t any players that I was like, ‘Oh, they look out of place,’ which is a positive in both groups.
“In the second group, I thought Charlie Coyle was very physically dominant,” the coach continued. “You can tell he’s in great shape. … I thought Johnny Beecher has shown a lot (Thursday) from what he learned last year — how strong he was, his puck management, his ability to hang on to pucks — was a pleasant thing to see as he grows in the second year, as well.”
Montgomery was impressed how Coyle seamlessly played alongside two players — Fabian Lysell and Tyler Johnson — he wasn’t familiar with, noting that Coyle is the “kind of player that makes people around him better.”
Fabian Lysell strong out of the gate — This could be the year the Bruins’ high-profile prospect cracks the roster. He left a positive impression after Day 1, which caught the attention of Montgomery.
“He’s visibly stronger,” Montgomery said. “You can see him wanting pucks more, going to get more pucks. And that’s what we want. He’s an offensively gifted player. … He did a good job of competing for pucks.”
Lysell spent the summer getting his body up to speed after missing time late last year with a concussion. He was eager to show his growth.
“I’m just excited for it. It’s always nice when there are opportunities,” he said. “Just take it day-by-day and try to earn my spot.”
