Harvard captain Jimmy Vesey skates over the red line with the puck. Photo credit: Christopher Evans, Boston Herald
First of all, sorry I haven't posted. I've had a bit of "blogger's block" lately, but there's more to come.
In the last few days, the Bruins have signed defence prospect Rob O'Gara and center Sean Kuraly to entry-level contracts. Rob O'Gara hasn't scored more than six goals in a college hockey season, though the stay-at-home rearguard's 12 points led Yale defensemen in scoring and managed to become a dependable, 20-minute-per game presence on a Yale team that went 14-5-3 in conference play. O'Gara was sent to Providence on an amateur tryout (ATO) after Yale was knocked out of the national tournament by UMass-Lowell, so it will be interesting to see how he transitions to the pros.
Sean Kuraly was acquired in exchange for backup Martin Jones along with a first-round pick (you read that right). Kuraly represented the USA in the 2013 World Juniors and was anointed captain of the Miami-Ohio RedHawks in the 2015-16 season. Unfortunately, Miami-Ohio posted a disappointing 15-18-3 record and was eliminated from the NCHC tournament in the first round. Though his offensive totals aren't exactly dazzling, he could be a steal if the scouts are to be believed about his two-way ability. Like O'Gara, Kuraly is going to Providence on an ATO.
Now for the elephant in the room: Jimmy Vesey.
Vesey was picked by the Predators in the 2012 Draft and has since developed into a top prospect that can pass, skate, and shoot. However, he has decided that he won't sign with the Predators, despite supposedly telling Predators management he would sign. From that moment on, the whole soap opera played out in the paper. Eventually, the information emerged that Vesey wanted to sign with Boston, a city he has strong ties to. He was born in Massachusetts, and has never played for a team outside of the state. Even his father, Jim, played four games for the Bruins in 1992. However, there are rumours linking him to the Leafs, and as Bruins fans know, when a player says he wants to play in Boston, he doesn't always mean it.
Anyway, Vesey was the captain of the Harvard team and was nominated for the 2015 Hobey Baker Award the season before. He scored 24 goals 46 points in 33 games (which was a big slip in production because of an outstanding 2014-15) while only three more of his teammates cracked double digits in goals. Still, Harvard went 14-8-3 and made it all the way to the ECAC final, only to lose to Quinnipiac and lost to Boston College in the first round of the national tourney.
If Vesey signs with Boston, it could be a huge coup. The left wing has been a point-per-game player and could seriously help a left wing prospect group whose best players are Jake DeBrusk and Peter Cehlarik (good players, but also players who may be a long way from reaching their ceiling).
In conclusion, the Bruins have bolstered their prospect pool by signing O'Gara and Kuraly, and potentially added an important piece in Jimmy Vesey.
In the last few days, the Bruins have signed defence prospect Rob O'Gara and center Sean Kuraly to entry-level contracts. Rob O'Gara hasn't scored more than six goals in a college hockey season, though the stay-at-home rearguard's 12 points led Yale defensemen in scoring and managed to become a dependable, 20-minute-per game presence on a Yale team that went 14-5-3 in conference play. O'Gara was sent to Providence on an amateur tryout (ATO) after Yale was knocked out of the national tournament by UMass-Lowell, so it will be interesting to see how he transitions to the pros.
Sean Kuraly was acquired in exchange for backup Martin Jones along with a first-round pick (you read that right). Kuraly represented the USA in the 2013 World Juniors and was anointed captain of the Miami-Ohio RedHawks in the 2015-16 season. Unfortunately, Miami-Ohio posted a disappointing 15-18-3 record and was eliminated from the NCHC tournament in the first round. Though his offensive totals aren't exactly dazzling, he could be a steal if the scouts are to be believed about his two-way ability. Like O'Gara, Kuraly is going to Providence on an ATO.
Now for the elephant in the room: Jimmy Vesey.
Vesey was picked by the Predators in the 2012 Draft and has since developed into a top prospect that can pass, skate, and shoot. However, he has decided that he won't sign with the Predators, despite supposedly telling Predators management he would sign. From that moment on, the whole soap opera played out in the paper. Eventually, the information emerged that Vesey wanted to sign with Boston, a city he has strong ties to. He was born in Massachusetts, and has never played for a team outside of the state. Even his father, Jim, played four games for the Bruins in 1992. However, there are rumours linking him to the Leafs, and as Bruins fans know, when a player says he wants to play in Boston, he doesn't always mean it.
Anyway, Vesey was the captain of the Harvard team and was nominated for the 2015 Hobey Baker Award the season before. He scored 24 goals 46 points in 33 games (which was a big slip in production because of an outstanding 2014-15) while only three more of his teammates cracked double digits in goals. Still, Harvard went 14-8-3 and made it all the way to the ECAC final, only to lose to Quinnipiac and lost to Boston College in the first round of the national tourney.
If Vesey signs with Boston, it could be a huge coup. The left wing has been a point-per-game player and could seriously help a left wing prospect group whose best players are Jake DeBrusk and Peter Cehlarik (good players, but also players who may be a long way from reaching their ceiling).
In conclusion, the Bruins have bolstered their prospect pool by signing O'Gara and Kuraly, and potentially added an important piece in Jimmy Vesey.