Boston Bruins Sign Max Iafrate

The Boston Bruins have been one of the busiest teams this off season when it has come to depth and minor league signings. Recently the Bruins signed young defenseman Max Iafrate to a contract.

Max is the son of former Bruins defenseman Al Iafrate. Max just completed his last season playing junior in the Ontario Hockey League with the Kitchener Rangers. He played with the Rangers for four seasons, starting in 2011. He’s now too old to play in the OHL any longer, being 21 years of age.

Iafrate’s draft year was 2012, where he went unselected. He bounced around the ranks of pro hockey a bit after that. He played in one game with the Lake Erie Monsters before he was sent back to the Rangers. He was invited to the Washington Capitals camp last season.

In 65 games with the Rangers this season, Iafrate delivered a respectable 38 points and a whopping 141 penalty minutes.

StanleyCupOfChowder.com lists this scouting report from the Rangers own website:

"“Iafrate is an energetic defenseman who plays a physical game in front of his team’s net and likes to deliver big open ice hits. He can also be counted on for his big shot and his ability to carry the puck out of his team’s zone.”"

Basically, he sounds like a typical Bruins defense prospect. Physical and has some puck carrying skills. Boston has always been deep defensively, but there is current concern they could lose restricted free agent Dougie Hamilton. Adam McQuaid is a free agent as well.

The defense isn’t getting much younger, either. Zdeno Chara lost a step last season and Dennis Seidenberg never fully recovered from his knee injury. Torey Krug has been a bright spot, along with Hamilton.

Iafrate was essentially signed by the American Hockey League’s Providence Bruins, so he’ll report to them when training camp opens up. Its hard pressed to think he will see any time in the NHL this season, but stranger things have happened.