College Free Agent Signings

We have reached the point of the season when NHL teams have just finished signing the top undrafted college players to contracts.  For any number of reasons, whether it be small size, late skill development, or poor exposure to NHL scouts before college, there are always about 20-30 players signed as Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA) upon the conclusion of their college season.  These signings are mutually beneficial, as entry level contracts are pocket change to NHL teams, and the player can essentially decide which organization he'd like to join (unless your name is Eli Manning or John Elway you usually have no say in this).

Here's a look at a couple of the guys the Bruins have signed from the NCAA:

Chris Casto: Defense, University of Minnesota-Duluth, 6'3, 215 lbs

Many were surprised to hear that Castro decided to leave the Bulldogs after his sophomore season (I was not. I lived there and it is freezing!), but the Bruins were happy he did.
Although he still needs to work on his skating a bit, he has great mobility for a bigger skater and he is a rock in the defensive end. 13 points as a freshman and nine this past season make some question his offensive upside, but Casto has the potential to be a respectable offensive contributor.  He's no Erik Karlsson, but his big shot could actually prove pretty useful on a secondary powerplay unit.  This is a great signing for the Bruins, as Casto has the potential to possibly become a top four defenseman somewhere down the line, but adds depth in the system regardless of personal improvement.

Matt Lindblad: Left Wing, Dartmouth College, 6'0, 200 lbs

Mark my words, this kid is an absolute steal!  At better than average height and weight for a forward, I have no idea how Lindblad was not offered a contract after putting up 70 pts in his final season in the USHL in 2010, undeniably the top junior league in North America (excluding the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL where players are paid, therefore, losing college eligibility).  The Bruins must be excited to sign a player of Lindblad's caliber, as he had almost a point per game in each of his three seasons in beautiful Hanover, New Hampshire.  He is not considered to be a "high-end" signing, but I am convinced he will become at least a top nine NHL forward one day.  Having scored 80 points over the past three years on a very average team with an above average schedule makes Lindblad high end in my book.  I don't think it will be too long before we see Lindblad playing here in the Hub of Hockey.
PS: Stats in Providence to finish the year. (AHL): 4 gp, 1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points

References:
hockeydb.com
bruins.nhl.com
UMD Hockey Site
Dartmouth Hockey Site
http://unitedstatesofhockey.com/2013/03/20/nhl-college-free-agent-tracker-updated-march-20/