PuckSleuth
52

Boston Bruins · Center · Shoots L

Sean Kuraly

Age 33 · 6'2" · 214 lb · Born in Niagara Falls, USA

Cap hit

$1.85M

1.8% of $104M cap

Term

1 yr

Through 2026-27, then UFA

Clause

None

Surplus value

+$845K

vs. $2.695M market estimate

Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source

2026-27 regular season

GP

1

Goals

0

0.0% shooting

Assists

0

0 primary

Points

0

0.00 per game

TOI/GP

15:01

PP 0:00 · PK 0:35

xGF%

64.2

5v5, +14.3 vs. last yr

Game Score

-0.28

per game, goals above average

Faceoff %

—

5 W · 3 L

Plus/minus

0

Blocks 2 · Hits 1

Game log

Last 5 games · NHL API

GameGASOGHITBLKTOIPPPKFOOZS%GVTK+/-GS
Sep 29
vs NYR · W 3-0
0021215:010:000:355-30000-0.28
May 1
vs BUF · L 4-1
000009:400:003:114-20200-0.13
Apr 28
@ BUF · W 2-1
0002013:300:002:463-00000-0.09
Apr 26
vs BUF · L 6-1
1024215:590:003:559-33300-1+0.51
Apr 23
vs BUF · L 3-1
0000110:410:122:393-33300+1-0.04

GS = our Game Score, goals above average. FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.

Advanced metrics

5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 843 min · percentile vs. NHL forwards

xGF%49.9%

56th percentile

Relative xGF%+2.7

75th percentile

HDCF%52.4%

68th percentile

CF%50.3%

62nd percentile

Relative CF%+1.8

73rd percentile

FF%51.2%

67th percentile

GF%49.2%

49th percentile

CF/6061.3

76th percentile

CA/6060.5

28th percentile

ixG/600.66

19th percentile

Goals above expected-3.3

17th percentile

IPP64.5%

51st percentile

PDO99.1

41st percentile

OZS%28.9%

6th percentile

xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.

Play styleDefensive-minded playmaker

Trait percentiles vs. NHL centers · 2025-26

Kuraly excels at defensive positioning and winning battles to create pressure, with elite ability to generate rush chances through aggressive forechecking. His shot volume and puck handling lag behind, making him a low-volume contributor who stabilizes play through effort and positioning rather than shot creation.

BackcheckingRush chancesDefensive grit
Shooting volume
46
Playmaking
47
Zone entries(est.)
95
Forechecking
53
Physicality
58
Defensive impact
89
Puck management
34
Speed
49

Where he shoots from

Slot 36% · Mid-range 35% · Perimeter 29%(159 unblocked shots)

Strengths

  • Elite 95th percentile rush chance generation through relentless forechecking and gap control
  • Excellent 89th percentile defensive impact, anchoring possession while preventing scoring chances
  • Solid 58th percentile physicality, winning puck battles and creating loose-puck opportunities

Watch-outs

  • Below-average 46th percentile shooting volume limits his offensive ceiling
  • Weak 34th percentile puck management means occasional turnovers in transition play
  • Below-average 47th percentile playmaking suggests limited assist creation from his chances

Similar style: Zakhar Bardakov, Jason Dickinson

Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.

Where his Game Score comes from

2025-26 · 82 GP · goals above average

Season total -6.0 goals, or -0.07 per game.

Even strength offense
-0.7
Even strength defense
+0.7
Power play
-0.1
Penalty kill
-1.0
Finishing
-3.3
Playmaking
-1.4
Penalties
-0.4
Faceoffs
+0.1

Game Score adds up a player's impact in goals compared with an average player given the same ice time: his share of expected goals for and against at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill, plus finishing (goals minus expected goals), primary assists, penalties drawn and taken, and faceoffs. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.

By season

Regular season

SeasonTeamGPGAP+/-SOGTOI/GPFO%GS/GP
2026-27BOS10000215:01—-0.28
2025-26BOS8261622011013:2051.1%-0.07
2024-25CBJ8261117-48811:4654.3%-0.07
2023-24CBJ629918-59213:4448.1%-0.06
2022-23CBJ7111920-2810015:0449.6%-0.13

Sentiment & chatter

Fans

—

Beat writers

—

Media

—

Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.

Age curve

NHL forwards · production index

202937

At 33, forwards typically produce 69% of their peak (age 24).

From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.

Skating · NHL EDGE

2026-27, as of Oct 2

Top speed
19.2 mph
6th pct
20+ mph bursts
0
Hardest shot
60.5 mph
31st pct
Distance
2.4 mi
OZ time
32.3%
3rd pct
DZ time
47.1%