The Boston Bruins are enjoying a tremendous 2022-23 NHL season, but much of that success can be attributed to veteran players.
Our 20 Under 25 voting for 2023 concluded earlier this month, and only one Bruins player finished with a top 10 score. It should be noted that only four Bruins players were part of the voting process -- Jeremy Swayman, Fabian Lysell, Mason Lohrei and John Beecher. But the fact that only four players in the organization younger than age 25 were worthy of inclusion tells you a lot about the state of the team's next wave of talent.
Check out full 2023 20 Under 25 results here
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Let's look at some Bruins-related takeaways from this year's 20 Under 25 rankings, voted on by the fans.
Jeremy Swayman part of the next Bruins core?
Swayman was No. 8 on last year's 20 Under 25 ranking, and he moved all the way up to No. 3 this year with a score of 79.3/100. That's a pretty impressive jump, especially when you consider his performance to begin the 2022-23 season has been a bit disappointing.
Despite a slow start, Swayman's numbers through 63 games over three NHL seasons remain strong. He has a career record of 37-20-4 with a .916 save percentage and a 2.30 GAA. He ranks among the league's best young goalies and should play an important role in net over the short and long term for the Bruins.
Boston Bruins
Fabian Lysell has exciting potential
Similar to Swayman, Lysell saw a huge jump in our 20 Under 25 voting, rising from the No. 18 ranked player last year to No. 12 this time around.
Lysell is without a doubt the most fun Bruins prospect to watch. He is absolutely electric with the puck and puts on a show with his accurate, hard shot and impressive playmaking ability. The speed he skates with is exciting, too, and often puts opponents on their heels.
Lysell had a strong first season in the WHL in 2021-22 and posted 62 points (22 goals, 40 assists) in 53 games. He was even better during the WHL playoffs, tallying 21 points (four goals, 17 assists) in 12 games and leading the Giants to a surprise upset of the No. 1 seed Everett Silvertips in Round 1.
Boston's 2021 first-round pick made the transition to the AHL for the 2022-23 campaign and has done so in fine fashion. Lysell has scored eight goals with 11 assists over his first 20 games for the Providence Bruins.
It's only a matter of time before Lysell gets an opportunity to showcase his top-tier offensive talents at the NHL level.
Lack of top-tier prospects is a short- and long-term problem
Outside of Lysell and Mason Lohrei, the Bruins don't have many prospects who project to be reliable NHL players. A huge part of that talent drought stems from the Bruins dealing away so many draft picks, particularly in trade-deadline moves. Boston has traded three of its last five first-round picks, and the team doesn't own its second-round pick in 2023 or 2024.
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The Bruins have been in win-now mode for basically a decade, and this was the correct path given the talent the franchise has had on its roster. The B's have reached the playoffs in 13 of the last 15 seasons and made three Stanley Cup Final appearances during that span, including a 2011 championship. But at some point, Boston's consistent failure to draft and develop high-level young players will become a problem. Developing good, low-cost players is a requirement for long-term success in a league like the NHL that uses a hard salary cap.