Alexander Kerfoot had a productive and informative meeting with Vancouver Canucks president Trevor Linden, GM Jim Benning and head coach Travis Green Wednesday, player agent J.P. Barry told News 1130’s Rick Dhaliwal.
The Canucks are reportedly one of a number of suitors meeting with the NCAA star to talk contract.
Kerfoot, a West Vancouver native, became an unrestricted free agent Wednesday after the New Jersey Devils‘ rights on the college prospect expired.
The 23-year-old centre was drafted in the fifth round (150th overall) by the Devils in 2012, but as is the case with NCAA MVP Will Butcher and new Avalanche signee Dominic Toninato, failed to sign an entry-level deal with franchise that picked him.
Devils general manager Ray Shero said multiple times that he wished to sign the five-foot-10, 175-pound forward and spoke with his unsigned prospect as recently as mid-July. Now Kerfoot can control his own destiny. (Interestingly, the Devils have reportedly jumped into the Butcher sweepstakes.)
“If he hits the open market, he’s more than likely gone,” Shero told NHL.com last month. “I hope he signs here. We like him as a kid and we value him.”
Kerfoot is coming off a breakout senior year in which he inherited Jimmy Vesey’s captaincy at Harvard University, led the club in assists (29) and racked up 45 points in 36 games. Kerfoot was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
He grew up a Canucks fan and played three seasons with the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express before heading to Harvard.
Back in March, Kerfoot addressed the notion of joining his hometown NHL team this summer:
Due to the Vesey connection, Kerfoot has also been linked in rumours to the New York Rangers, who lost a young centre (Oscar Lindberg) to Vegas in this summer’s expansion draft.
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