Short on draft picks, Don Sweeney and the Bruins have once again jumped into the college ranks for some prospect pool help, this time with the signing of one of the top NCAA free agents available in Notre Dame defenseman Drew Bavaro.
The #NHLBruins have signed defenseman Drew Bavaro to a one-year, entry-level contract.
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 12, 2024
📰: https://t.co/1jyB1uhrUZ pic.twitter.com/a7IjlaiVNR
Confirmed by the club this morning, Bavaro will join the Bruins on a one-year, entry-level deal with an NHL cap hit of $867,500. That deal will begin during the 2024-25 NHL season, with the 23-year-old Bavaro set to join Providence on an amateur tryout agreement for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
Michigan State forward Isaac Howard (22), Notre Dame forward Patrick Moynihan (18), and Notre Dame defenseman Drew Bavaro (24) battle for the puck during the Michigan State-Notre Dame game at Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Indiana.
During his junior year at ND, the 6-foot-3 Bavaro posted six goals and 19 points in 37 games played. Bavaro’s 19 points were the fifth-most among all Irish skaters that season, and his 41 blocks ranked third on the club.
Drew Bavaro, signed by BOS, blasts a one timer from the point against UMich the other day. He’ll report to Providence on an ATO for the rest of the year. #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/AElDX9iC1X
— Robert Chalmers (@IvanIvanlvan) March 12, 2024Overall, Bavaro’s two-season run with the Fighting Irish included 16 goals and 39 points in 72 games.
Notre Dame defenseman Drew Bavaro (24) shoots the puck during the Penn State-Notre Dame NCAA hockey game on Saturday, January 20, 2024, at Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Indiana.
And though he’s a Florida native, Bavaro does come to the Bruins with some ties to Massachusetts.
Bavaro played his high school hockey with Lawrence Academy from 2015 through 2019, and also played with the Neponset Valley River Rats (Canton, Mass.) during that stretch. And after spending one year with BCHL Wenatchee, Bavaro embarked on a two-year run with Waltham’s Bentley University before joining Notre Dame.
At Bentley, Bavaro posted 11 goals and 39 points over 52 games played.
A detailed view of the Boston Bruins’ logo on a player’s sweater during a game. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
And, again, Bavaro is just the latest college free agent gamble made by the Bruins, which is nothin’ new to this club.
In fact, Bavaro is now the fourth notable NCAA free agent addition made by the Bruins in the last two years, joining a group featuring forward John Farinacci (12 goals and 31 points in 56 games for Providence this season), forward Marc McLaughlin (four goals in 14 NHL games since 2022), and goaltender Brandon Bussi.
2024 AHL All-Star Georgii Merkulov is also a college free agent addition in the B’s pipeline.
