Bruins-Avalanche Prospect Swap
Boston Bruins Acquire Depth Forward Ivan Ivan, Trade Prospect Fabian Lysell to Avalanche
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Key Points
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Ivan Ivan logged 11 goals, 26 points and 40 penalty minutes in 66 AHL regular-season games with the Colorado Eagles in 2025-26.
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Lysell produced 42 points (17 goals, 25 assists) in 57 AHL games for Providence last season, helping the Bruins’ affiliate finish with the AHL's best record.
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Lysell was selected 21st overall by the Bruins in the 2021 NHL Draft.
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Ivan Ivan made his NHL debut on October 9, 2024.
The Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche swapped two 23-year-old forwards on Day 2 of the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, with Boston sending Fabian Lysell to Colorado in exchange for Ivan Ivan. Boston Hockey Now reported the deal, a straight one-for-one trade completed around 2:40 PM CST on June 27.
The move is a classic change-of-scenery swap. Lysell, a 2021 first-round pick who never stuck in Boston's system, heads to Colorado. Ivan, an undrafted Czech center who earned his way into 49 NHL games, now joins a Bruins squad in the middle of a major roster overhaul.
Lysell's First-Round Promise Never Fit Boston's System
The Bruins selected Lysell 21st overall in 2021. He was built as a high-skill playmaker. But Boston's system demands two-way, defensive hockey — and the fit was never there. 98.5 The Sports Hub analyst Ty Anderson called the trade "locking in the 2021 NHL Draft as a complete miss" for the organization.
Despite piling up 163 AHL points in 219 games across his career, Lysell appeared in only 12 NHL games — all in the 2024-25 season. In 2025-26, he posted 42 points in 57 AHL games for Providence, which finished with the AHL's best record. He played just one Calder Cup Playoff game and recorded no points.
Ivan Ivan Earned His Spot the Hard Way
Unlike Lysell, Ivan was never drafted. He signed with Colorado in March 2024 after working his way through the minor leagues. He once told NHL.com that playing for the Avalanche was a "childhood dream" — he used to play as them on PlayStation. He made his NHL debut on October 9, 2024.
This past season, Ivan posted 11 goals and 26 points in 66 AHL games with the Colorado Eagles. He also added 15 points in 17 Calder Cup Playoff games. His NHL career line stands at 9 points in 49 games — modest numbers, but earned through defensive reliability and hard forechecking.
Colorado Bets on Pedigree After Losing GM and Adding Prospects
Colorado GM Chris MacFarland left in June 2026 to join Nashville, leaving Joe Sakic back in charge. Colorado Hockey Now noted the Avalanche had already added Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L'Heureux — both former first-round picks — from Nashville just days before the draft. Those moves blocked Ivan's path to a top-nine role in Denver.
With Lysell, Colorado now holds three former 2021 first-round forwards in its pipeline. The Hockey News noted the Avalanche are aggressively buying prospects from that draft class to rebuild a thin system after years of trading away picks to win now. Lysell's offensive upside — 42 AHL points last season — makes him an appealing low-cost gamble.
Boston Keeps Reshaping Its Roster Around Speed and Reliability
Bruins GM Don Sweeney said earlier in the week the team was "eager to participate" in the trade market and that "everything has to be on the table." He also noted the club had already made internal decisions on all pending restricted free agents — a signal that Lysell's days in Boston were numbered.
Hours after the Ivan trade, Boston acquired forward J.J. Peterka from the Utah Mammoth for two first-round picks. Pro Hockey Rumors described the Ivan Ivan acquisition as a "low-risk scratch ticket" — a depth stabilizer rather than a star. Both Ivan and Lysell remain pending restricted free agents who must now negotiate new deals with their new clubs.
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