Quinnipiac's national title defense came to a heartbreaking end Sunday when Boston College defeated the Bobcats 5-4 in overtime in the NCAA Regional Final.
Quinnipac's leading scorer, Collin Graf, is one of the best undrafted college free agents available, and according to recent reports, lots of NHL teams could be in the mix to sign him.
Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported Monday an update on Graf's status and which teams to watch. The first team he mentioned was the Boston Bruins.
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"Collin Graf has sort of been looked at all season long as the No. 1 undrafted free agent available," Seravalli said. "I’m told that this is certainly in the works and could potentially happen as soon as (Monday). Teams that have been in the mix for Graf have been told this morning that they believe he is heading East, so some team in the Eastern Conference. A lot of people seem to be speculating on the Boston Bruins. Their GM Don Sweeney, as well as his executive leadership team and scouting staff, many of them were at the regional in Providence (on Sunday). They got a first-hand viewing of Collin Graf, who some would say had a tough regional tournament, maybe a tough last few weeks of his season.
"It's probably easier to list the teams that haven't been in on Graf. A lot of Western Conference teams as well -- the Colorado Avalanche in the mix, Arizona Coyotes and San Jose Sharks. The Edmonton Oilers have spent a long time watching Collin Graf so far this season. Another team in the East, the Pittsburgh Penguins, are believed to have been pretty aggressive as well. Graf is from Massachusetts, I think he’s a Boston Jr. Bruins kid, so Boston would make a lot of sense, but that isn't done."
Graf is a Lincoln, Mass., native and played two seasons with the Boston Jr. Bruins in 2019-20 and 2020-21. He has played the last two seasons at Quinnipiac and led the Bobcats with 49 points (22 goals, 27 assists) in 34 games during the 2023-24 campaign. Graf also played a major role in the Bobcats' national title run in 2023.
The right-shot forward (center/right wing) has the ability to return to Quinnipiac in 2024-25, but turning pro could be the best option if he finds a good fit.
The Bruins could certainly use a player with Graf's offensive skill set in their prospect pool. The Bruins don't have a pick in the 2024 NHL Draft until the fourth round. They also don't own a second- or fourth-round selection in 2025. So if the Bruins are going to restock their prospect pool in the short term, hitting on a couple college free agents would be quite helpful.
