Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is usually active in the NCAA free agent market, and this year is no different. The team announced on Tuesday that they have signed Notre Dame defenseman Drew Bavaro to a one-year entry-level contract that carries an NHL cap hit of $867,500.
The contract will kick in next season. Bavaro will report to AHL Providence on an amateur tryout for the remainder of this season.
Bavaro, 23, is a big right-shot defender, listed at 6-foot-3, 202 pounds. He played his first two college seasons at Bentley before transferring to Notre Dame for the last two.
Bavaro gets involved offensively, recording 10 goals and 10 assists in 35 games for the Fighting Irish this season while leading the team with 117 shots on goal. In his final season at Bentley in 2021-22, he led the team in scoring with 27 points (9 goals, 18 assists) in 36 games and earned First Team All-Atlantic Hockey honors.
The Athletic ranked Bavaro as the top NCAA free-agent defenseman this year, listed under a tier titled "Has a chance to play NHL games." Elite Prospects had him ranked third behind St. Cloud State's Dylan Anhorn and Merrimack's Zach Bookman, both of whom are sophomores and could stay in school.
Bavaro attended Detroit Red Wings development camp in 2022 and Ottawa Senators development camp in 2023.
A native of Lakewood Ranch, Florida, Bavaro moved to Massachusetts to play his prep hockey at Lawrence Academy in Groton.
Notre Dame's season ended over the weekend when they got swept by Michigan in a best-of-three series in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
And, in case you're wondering, Bavaro is not related to Danvers native and former Notre Dame and New York Giants tight end Mark Bavaro.
