As of Tuesday, some recent NHL draft picks became free agents after not getting contracts from their draft teams.
One is John Farinacci, picked by the Arizona Coyotes in 2019. The Boston Bruins signed him to an ELC, a two-year deal for the 22-year-old. He just finished playing at Harvard, getting 20 points in 19 games. The contract's cap hit is $910,000.
Farinacci was one of the top NCAA free agents not getting contracts from their first teams. The Coyotes lose out here.
"For me, it was an easy choice," said Farinacci. "I talked to a couple other teams Tuesday night, but nothing felt like joining the Bruins."
Farinacci's uncle and cousin, Ted and Ryan Donato, both played for Boston. Ted also coached Farinacci for three years at Harvard.
"He went from Uncle Teddy to Coach quickly," said Farinacci. "I learned a lot from him. He was a great player and coach."
Now, Farinacci heads to the big club's training camp. The Bruins aim to refill the center position after Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retired.