When Sean Kuraly signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2021, it was a feel-good story that a player who grew up in Central Ohio was choosing to come home. He also was going to provide much-needed center depth, and over the last three seasons he has met expectations. Through five seasons in Boston, Kuraly had a career high of 8 goals. He has eclipsed that each year in Columbus.
The downside to Kuraly is a common complaint about the Larsen/Vincent era: he was relied on too much. His average time on ice in Boston was 13:09 per game, but he averaged over 15 minutes a game in his first two seasons with the Jackets.