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While many other collegiate hockey players that turn pro initially start off in the minors, Boston College standout Patrick Eaves - who ended months of speculation last week after signing a three-year contract with the Ottawa Senators - might immediately join the team's lineup, according to its general manager.
"We're hoping he may fit on the third line," John Muckler told The Heights. "There's a vacant spot there with [Dany] Heatley and [Daniel] Alfredsson."
The decision will be made at the end of training camp, which happens over the next two weeks, Muckler said.
Eaves, the Eagles' assistant captain and last season's top scorer, is one of at least 15 college players that has signed a professional contract since the NHL and its player's union reached a contract settlement last month.
Maine's Jimmy Howard and Michigan's Al Montoya and Jeff Tambellini have also signed.
Since drafting Eaves - their 2003 first-round pick and 29th overall - the Senators have signaled several times that they'd like the Minnesota resident to join the roster as early as possible.
Eaves had some apprehension about leaving before his senior year, Muckler said.
"He had his senior year to go of college and it's a big decision for anyone his age," he said. "But I think that he feels he's going to be able to play in the NHL for a long time and be very successful."
It was the same skills that BC fans have been dazzled by for the past three years that attracted Ottawa to Eaves.
"He's a gritty hockey player, he's got good vision, he's an intelligent player," said Muckler. "He knows the game very well, and he works very hard, very aggressively.
"He really has a passion for the game," he continued. "You can tell by the way he plays. He'd do anything in his power to win a game. And when [the game gets rough], he gets rougher."
In a statement issued by the University, men's hockey coach Jerry York said: "Patrick had a very productive career here at BC and we wish him all the best as he begins his professional career."
Eaves hopes to finish his degree at a later date, the statement continued.
During his three seasons as an Eagle, Eaves scored 47 goals, registered 60 assists, was named Hockey East Player of the Year, and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
Eaves' BC career was also marked by several bouts of bad fortune early on. In December 2002, he was sidelined for 12 weeks after a Maine player's stick struck and broke his neck.
His return, on March 7, 2003, wasn't any better. Skating down the ice to compete for a loose puck, Eaves collided with Merrimack goalie Joe Exter, who left the game with severe injuries after fracturing his skull in two locations. Though the goalie recovered, Eaves still considered the incident one of the worst he's encountered.
"It was scary when it happened," Eaves once told The Heights. "I was really worried about Joe and the condition he was in. I just felt awful."
Arguably BC's best player, Eaves' absence (along with that of 10 graduated players) will be countered by an impressive incoming class, likely to be led by Brock Bradford, who notched 57 points in 60 games last season with the Omaha Lancers.
BC also benefits from the return of Cory Schneider in net and veteran defenseman Peter Harrold.
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