I’ll be honest here. I don’t have a lot to say about Sean Kuraly. He was signed here in 2021 to be the team’s fourth line center. It’s the last year of that contract, and he was a serviceable fourth line center for all 82 games. Coach Dean Evason and his teammates speak highly of his leadership qualities, but he didn’t do much to impress me, and by season’s end I wouldn’t have minded recalling someone like Luca del bel Belluz to take his spot, or scratching him to allow James van Riemsdyk an opportunity to play.
2024-25 Stats
Goals: 6
Assists: 11
Points: 17
Plus/Minus: -4
PIM: 40
5v5 Corsi %: 48.6%
5v5 Fenwick %: 48.9%
5v5 O-Zone Start %: 32.8%
Contract
Kuraly is set to be an UFA this summer, after making $2.5M/year for the last four seasons.
High Point
Kuraly’s lone multi-point performance came in a 5-2 loss in Seattle, so I’ll go with what’s possibly his final goal in a Blue Jackets sweater, off the rush against the Islanders in Game 82. Embeds are being weird so here’s a link.
Low Point
Kuraly was kept off the scoresheet for the 11 games leading into the Four Nations break, starting January 18th, including being on the ice for both regulation goals against in a 3-2 OTL at the hands of the Utah Hockey Club February 6th.
Report Card
C-
He was by no means a liability, but his 17 points is the lowest in a full season since 2017-18 with Boston, and his goal and point totals have declined in every year of his contract. In a word: Pedestrian. Probably not getting resigned, thank you for your service.