Bruins sign former Harvard C John Farinacci to two-year entry-level deal

Don Sweeney walked out to the Bruins' backyard and plucked a fellow Harvard man to add to the Bruins' cupboard.

Boston announced Wednesday it signed former Crimson center John Farinacci to a two-year entry-level with an NHL cap hit of $910,000.

Farinacci, who captained the Crimson as a senior in 2022-23, was a third-round pick (76th overall) of the Arizona Coyotes in 2019. However, he opted not to sign with the club once his collegiate career concluded. Instead, he became an unrestricted free agent when his rights expired with the Yotes at Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline. 

"Obviously being here for the last couple of years with Dexter over there in Brookline and Harvard, I think it was always something in the back of my mind, and something I kind of did my due diligence on going into 5 o'clock last night and having talks with management last night," Farinacci said via Zoom of the process of signing with the B's. "I loved everything they had to offer and obviously knew a little bit about them beforehand, just from my own research and whatnot. So, for me, it was a pretty easy decision."

The right-shot pivot missed the first half of Harvard's season but returned to put up 20 points (5g, 15a) in 19 games after the holiday break. The 22-year-old finishes his NCAA run with 25 goals and 36 assists for 61 points in 79 games.

A Dexter Southfield School and Muskegon Lumberjacks product, Farinacci (6-0, 185) returned to Muskegon when Harvard did not play in 2020-21. In seven USHL games, he had eight points (4g, 4a). In a third line role with the United States at the World Juniors that season, he put up seven points (5g, 2a) in seven games, tying Ottawa Senators' rising star Tim Stützle for fourth in goals for the tournament en route to a gold medal.

Farinacci said he spoke to other teams, but "for me, it was nothing that could compare to you know, the feeling of being a part of the Bruins."

Other notable NCAA free agents include forwards Kevin Wall, Jake Wise, Robert Mastrosimone, Jay O'Brien and Skyler Brind'Amour.

Quickie thoughts...

• I had expected the Bruins to be a little more active in the college free agent market in the spring, but nevertheless, here they are today with yet another pickup from the NCAA ranks. 
• It's a no-brainer, too. Farinacci was one of the more coveted players set to become a UFA when his draft rights expired, and now the Bruins add another center to a prospect pool and franchise in dire need of some help down the middle. 
• I'd expect Farinacci to begin the year in the AHL with Providence, but I am intrigued to see the type of run he could have in training camp and preseason action. 
• From seeing Farinacci with Harvard during my days covering college hockey, he's a confident player with a strong all-around game. He shoots the puck well, and I was surprised he never had higher goal outputs than he did. Also thought there were times he might have been able to use his shot more, too, although he averaged 2.4 shots per game with the Crimson. 
• It's probably not unreasonable to already lump Farinacci in with the usual suspects near the top of Boston's center pool, like Matthew Poitras and Brett Harrison. Still, it remains to be seen what Farinacci's ceiling as an NHL player might truly be. 
• From seeing Farinacci with Harvard during my days covering BU, 
• Cousin of former Bruin Ryan Donato and nephew of former Bruin and current Harvard coach Ted Donato. Wonder how much that connection influenced things. Although he said his cousin and uncle only found out about an hour ago, like everybody else.

FloHockey's Chris Peters wrote of Farinacci:

"Of the players available, Farinacci has the brightest NHL outlook. He is a 6-foot, 190-pound right-shot center who plays a strong two-way game. ... He is a mature player, who has a good work ethic on the ice, plays a gritty style down low and knows how to get to the net. He could easily slot into an organization in a depth role, potentially playing in the NHL immediately in the right situation. It’s more likely, however, that he starts in the AHL."

Here are some additional scouting reports on the 22-year-old, including from his draft year in 2019:

Future Considerations: "Farinacci's best asset is his shot. He has a quick release and gets good wood on his shot."

HockeyProspect.com: "Farinacci possesses a smart two-way game that finds a way to impact the game even if he is left off the score sheet."

Dobber Prospects: "A skilled offensive player, Farinacci plays a strong 200-foot game and has good leadership qualities."