Blue Jackets Planning To Sign Sean Kuraly To A 4-Year Deal

In their annual attempt to re-tool their club, the Colombus Blue Jackets are reportedly in pursuit of Bruins bottom-6 forward Sean Kuraly. Rumors suggest that he may sign with the Jackets for as many as 4 years. Kuraly is a native of Dublin, Ohio, so the return home makes sense on his end, as it does for Colombus, who struggle to find players that want to sign in their city.

Kuraly was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the 5th round, 133rd overall in 2011. He never played a game in San Jose, his biggest contribution to the team being his involvement in the trade that brought Martin Jones to California from Boston. Kuraly played in 5 seasons with the Bruins, scoring 24 goals and 68 points in 244 games played. He added 9 goals and 19 points in 57 playoff games with Boston, including 10 points in the Bruins' run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019. Kuraly just wrapped up a three-year contract that saw him earn an AAV of $1.275 million. 

Kuraly being from Ohio is a large factor in this deal. Although he likely would have been happy to remain in Boston, a return to his hometown is an enticement here, as it is for a lot of free-agent signings. As for Colombus, Kuraly is a recognizable name that wants to come and play for them. For a small-market team, that's not something they will thumb their noses at.

What do you think of Kuraly heading off to join Colombus?

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