Boston Bruins rookie Fabian Lysell is being watched by many in training camp this year. You could say the 21st pick in the 2021 Entry Draft is being watched every step of the way. And for good reason, as he is one of a handful of players vying for a spot on Boston’s roster for the season opener on October 8 against the Florida Panthers.

Lysell, Georgii Merkulov and others are looking to fill Jake DeBrusk’s spot on the roster after he joined the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent. Sweeney has very little room to maneuver as reaching an agreement with goalie Jeremy Swayman on a new contract is the top priority.

Lysell’s first chance to impress Montgomery on Sunday night at TD Garden against the New York Rangers did not go well. He was invisible for most of the evening and not as engaged as someone who wants to make an impact and break into the NHL should be. On Tuesday afternoon before the second preseason game against the Washington Capitals, Montgomery sent his young forward a clear message.

Bruins coach Jim Montgomery sends Fabian Lysell a clear message

After a practice at Warrior Ice Arena on Tuesday, Montgomery met with the media and spoke about Lysell. It’s clear that the Bruins’ coach, who has been on the job for three years, is expecting a better game from his young talent than he did two nights ago.

Make no mistake, Montgomery has had a lot of success getting messages across to his players. Last May, he called on David Pastrnak before Game 7 of their first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and all he did was score the game-winning goal of Game 7 in overtime. Now, the Bruins need to get Lysell to respond to Montgomery’s message if he wants to play in the NHL and not the AHL.