NHL Qualifying Offers: Breaking down who received offers and who didn’t

A complete list of which restricted free agents were and were not given qualifying offers by Monday's deadline.

The deadline for NHL teams to submit qualifying offers to restricted free agents came and went early evening Monday, and with it went one of the notable early deadlines of the off-season.

Already, we were aware of a few players who were set to be skipped over by the Monday deadline, including notables such as goaltenders Robin Lehner and Petr Mrazek, but there were a few other players lumped into that group of note. Below is a breakdown of the qualifying offers that were issued — and those that weren’t — for the teams who have made the information public:

ANAHEIM DUCKS
Received Qualifying Offer: Ondrej Kase, F; Nicolas Kerdiles, F; Kalle Kossila, F; Brandon Montour, D; Nick Ritchie F; Kevin Roy, F; Andy Welinski, D
Did Not:Scott Sabourin, F

No surprises here, but the Ducks have some work to do, particularly in the cases of Kase and Montour. The former is coming off of a 20-goal campaign and could be a budding member of Anaheim’s top six, while the latter has developed nicely into a top-four defenseman for the Ducks. Not surprising to see Ritchie qualified, either, but chances are he lands only a short-term deal. The 10th-overall pick in 2014 skated fourth-line minutes last season and scored 10 goals and 27 points in 76 games.

ARIZONA COYOTES
Received Qualifying Offer:Michael Bunting, F; Laurent Dauphin, F; Hudson Fasching, F; Marek Langhamer, G; Dakota Mermis, D; Trevor Murphy, D
Did Not: Freddie Hamilton, F; Sean Maguire, G

Recently acquired from the Buffalo Sabres, Fasching landing a qualifying offer will help him in his pursuit of finding a full-time roster spot in the NHL. He’s had a few cups of coffee over the past few seasons, but no steady work in the big league. Langhamer’s an interesting case, as he left the Coyotes and returned home to play in the Czech League on a loan last season. Qualifying him means his rights are retained.

BOSTON BRUINS
Received Qualifying Offer: Anton Blidh, F; Colby Cave, F; Sean Kuraly, F
Did Not: Justin Hickman, F

The standout name here is Kuraly, who was a fourth-liner for the Bruins this past season. While he’s not a big-time contributor and had just six goals and 14 points last season, he’s a clear fit in the bottom half of the lineup. Cave and Blidh have combined for a grand total of 23 games in the NHL, while Hickman has already inked a deal that will take him to Norway for the 2018-19 campaign.

BUFFALO SABRES
Received Qualifying Offer: Justin Bailey, F; Nicholas Baptiste, F; Sean Malone, F; Danny O'Regan, F; Sam Reinhart, F; C.J. Smith, F
Did Not: Victor Antipin, D; Robin Lehner, G; Scott Wilson, F

It’s been understood for some time now that Lehner was going to go unqualified and that the Sabres were set to go a different direction in goal, so to see his name left off the list as of yesterday doesn’t come as a shock. That Antipin hasn’t been included, though, is somewhat surprising given he was a notable signing out of the KHL. The experiment didn’t work out well in Buffalo, however, and he was often scratched, injured or playing bottom-pairing minutes.

CALGARY FLAMES
Received Qualifying Offer:Jon Gillies G; Noah Hanifin, D; Garnet Hathaway, F; Mark Jankowski, F; Morgan Klimchuk, F; Brett Kulak, D; Elias Lindholm, F; David Rittich, G; Hunter Shinkaruk, F
Did Not:Austin Carroll, F; Emile Poirier, F; Daniel Pribyl, F; Nick Shore, F; Hunter Smith, F

Newly acquired Flames Hanifin and Lindholm are among those qualified, as are most of those Calgary fans would have expected. It appears the clock has struck midnight for Poirier, though, and the 2013 first-round pick, who has had difficulty recapturing the form of his rookie pro campaign, appears to be set to try his hand elsewhere. The same goes for Nick Shore, who bounced around from Los Angeles to Ottawa to Calgary last season. He could draw interest as a fourth-line NHL option.

CAROLINA HURRICANES
Received Qualifying Offer:Greg McKegg, F; Lucas Wallmark, F; Trevor van Riemsdyk, D; Valentin Zykov, F
Did Not: Klas Dahlbeck, D; Tyler Ganly, D; Keegan Kanzig, D; Joakim Nordstrom F; Sergey Tolchinsky, F

The Hurricanes ensure they keep van Riemsdyk in town, a nice fit in the defensive rotation, by giving him a qualifying offer, and also retain Zykov’s services with the winger appearing as though he could battle for a spot in training camp. Dahlbeck and Tolchinsky had already inked deals in the KHL, so their exits were obvious by now. Nordstrom also finds himself looking for work, but it might be tough given his lack of production as a depth player.

COLORADO AVALANCHE
Received Qualifying Offer: Mason Geertsen, D; Ryan Graves, D; Matt Nieto, F; Spencer Martin, G; Patrik Nemeth, D
Did Not: Felix Girard, F; Jesse Graham, D; Reid Petryk, F; Duncan Siemens, D; Nail Yakupov, F

Again, it’s who didn’t received offers that’s the most interesting. Yakupov, who has failed to live up to expectations as a first-overall pick, is now a free agent once again and might be at the end of the line as far as his NHL career is concerned. Siemens, too, hasn’t found a fit in the NHL and could be bound for a minor league deal or a contract overseas.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Received Qualifying Offer: Oliver Bjorkstrand, F; Boone Jenner, F; Ryan Murray, D
Did Not: Ryan Kujawinski, F

There were no questions the Blue Jackets would extend offers to Bjorkstrand and Jenner, while the offer to Murray, the 2012 second-overall pick who has had an awfully tough time finding footing in the NHL, could mark his last real chance at making an impact. The question now when it comes to both Jenner and Murray is if either make it to arbitration.

DALLAS STARS
Received Qualifying Offer: Philippe Desrosiers, F; Jason Dickinson, F; Remi Elie, F; Dillon Heatherington, D; Mattias Janmark, F; Devin Shore, F; Gemel Smith, F
Did Not:Cole Ully, F

Janmark, Shore and Smith all contributed at different rates for the big club last season, so their qualifying offers come as no shock. As for Dickinson and Elle, they could be next in line to make an impact with the Stars as call-ups. Dickinson, especially, will be expected to flirt with a full-time job in Dallas come next season. Heatherington could also be on his way up to the Stars at some point next season, though likely only as a fill-in on the back end.

DETROIT RED WINGS
Received Qualifying Offer: Matt Puempel, F
Did Not: Zach Nastasiuk, F; Dan Renouf, D

Martin Frk went unqualified by the Red Wings only to be signed to a contract shortly thereafter, so you won’t be finding his name on the list. But Detroit has made the decision to qualify Matt Puempel, who’s interesting in that he’s shown scoring touch but an inability to piece it all together. The hope is he can find his way, but chances are he’ll remain a borderline NHL talent. As for AHLers Nastasiuk and Renouf, this appears to be the end of the line in Detroit.

EDMONTON OILERS
Received Qualifying Offer: Darnell Nurse, D; Ryan Strome, F; Anton Slepyshev, F
Did Not: Ben Betker, D; Iiro Pakarinen, F; Kyle Platzer, F

Pakarinen was a somewhat familiar face in Edmonton this past season, but he’s a replaceable piece up front for the Oilers. The qualifying offers extended to Strome and Slepyshev could mean two rounds of arbitration for Edmonton, while Nurse, who had a career year last season, is almost certain to sign something that resembles a bridge deal before the start of the 2018-19 campaign.

FLORIDA PANTHERS
Received Qualifying Offer:Jared McCann, F; Alexander Petrovic, D; Curtis Valk, F; Frank Vatrano, F; MacKenzie Weegar, D
Did Not: Gregory Chase, F; Edward Wittchow, D

It’s not altogether surprising to see Petrovic qualified — he has value and can operate as a bottom-four defenseman — but it sure seemed as though his time in Florida was nearly up. He was used sparingly last season after a top-four role the year prior and his name cropped up in the rumor mill often. Keeping him around could be the precursor to a later trade, of course. No other surprises here.

LOS ANGELES KINGS
Received Qualifying Offer: Paul LaDue, D; Alex Lintuniemi, D; Kurtis MacDermid, D
Did Not: Justin Auger, F; Tobias Rieder, F; Jordan Subban, D

Rieder’s potential as a 20-goal player made him an intriguing acquisition for the goal-strapped Kings last season, but he wasn’t able to flourish and was relegated to fourth-line minutes in Los Angeles. Thus, due a potential raise on the $2.25 million he was owed, the Kings have decided to cut bait. It wouldn’t be surprising if Rieder drew interest as a potential bang-for-your-buck free agent now that he’s eligible to hit the open market.

MINNESOTA WILD
Received Qualifying Offer: Jason Zucker, F; Matt Dumba, D; Nick Seeler, D
Did Not:Dylan Labbe, D; Adam Gilmour, F; Steve Michalek, G; Adam Vay, G

There’s no world in which the Wild weren’t going to qualify Zucker and Dumba, so those are no-brainers. Seeler earned a spot on the blueline and minutes in the post-season, so his inclusion in the group is far from surprising. There’s really nothing all that unexpected among the releases, either. Vay might be the most notable name, but only because he was recently signed after his 2016 showing with Hungary at the World Championship.

MONTREAL CANADIENS
Received Qualifying Offer: Phillip Danault, F; Jacob de la Rose, F; Michael McCarron, F; Kerby Rychel, F
Did Not: Daniel Carr, F; Jeremy Gregoire, F; Tom Parisi, D; Logan Shaw, F; Zach Fucale, G

The Canadiens aren’t ready to give up on big-bodied winger McCarron quite yet. The 2013 first-round choice hasn’t found his way into the NHL lineup with any consistency, nor has he shown he can contribute an awful lot to the big club, but Montreal’s content to give it another go. Likewise, Rychel, another first-round pick who has had a tough time gaining traction in the NHL, earns another chance. Among those who won’t, though, are Carr, who has 14 goals and 34 points in 94 games, and Fucale, once heralded as the next in line for the Canadiens crease.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Received Qualifying Offer: Ryan Hartman, F; Miikka Salomaki, F; Juuse Saros, G
Did Not:

Paying a first-round pick to bring Hartman aboard all but ensured he was going to be brought back into the fray, and the hope is he can find a more consistent spot on the roster come next season and contribute even more than the 31 points he’s scored in each of the past two seasons. Saros, meanwhile, is the assumed future between the pipes for the Predators, and the question now is what his next contract actually looks like when he puts pen to paper.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Received Qualifying Offer: Christoph Bertschy, F; Blake Coleman, F; Michael Kapla, D; Nick Lappin, F; Stefan Noesen, F; Kevin Rooney, F; Steven Santini, D; Miles Wood, F
Did Not: Ken Appleby, G; Mario Lucia, F

The Devils had a handful of players to take care of and they did exactly that, issuing offers to several of those who played even a small part in last season’s success. That includes Coleman, Wood and Noesen, as well as rearguard Santini, who averaged 20 minutes-plus in his 36 appearances. It appears there’s no plans to keep Appleby around, though, and while that’s not a total head-scratcher, one might have thought he’d get a longer look given his performance — 52 saves on 55 shots and a .945 save percentage — in three games last season.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Received Qualifying Offer: Kyle Burroughs, D; Ross Johnston, F; Brock Nelson, F; Ryan Pulock, D; Devon Toews, D
Did Not: Brandon Davidson, D; Shane Prince, F; Alan Quine, F; Kyle Schempp, F

Let’s start with Davidson, who was acquired at the deadline for a third-round pick and had third-pairing minutes in New York at the tail end of the campaign. While he’s bounced around a bit, he’s shown promise as a depth rearguard, and for a team so desperately in need of defense, it might have made sense to keep him in town. That said, the Islanders did issue offers to Pulock, Toews and Burroughs, so maybe Davidson found himself as the odd-man out.

NEW YORK RANGERS
Received Qualifying Offer: Chris Bigras, D; John Gilmour, D; Steven Fogarty, F; Kevin Hayes, F; Vladislav Namestnikov, F; Boo Nieves, F; Rob O'Gara, D; Brady Skjei, D; Ryan Spooner, F; Jimmy Vesey, F
Did Not: Adam Tambellini, F

All told, the Blueshirts sent out 10 qualifying offers, making Tambellini the lone outstanding RFA that has been left without a home. Most of the offers fall into the no-brainer category, though, with some important pieces among those who’ve been qualified. The work is far from done for New York, however, given nine of those who’ve received offers will be eligible for arbitration if they so choose. Bigras is the lone RFA without any great bargaining power.

OTTAWA SENATORS
Received Qualifying Offer: Cody Ceci, D; Nick Paul, F; Mark Stone, F
Did Not: Fredrik Claesson, D; Chris Driedger, G; Nick Moutrey, F

There was a time, back when he was taking the odd shift with Erik Karlsson during the 2016-17 post-season, that it seemed Claesson was a lock to remain a Senator for a good long while. Turns out that might not be the case, as after his first full campaign in Ottawa, he could be allowed to walk. The Senators can use whatever money they’ve saved on Claesson, though, to throw at Ceci and Stone, who could be two of the pricier signings the Senators make this summer.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Received Qualifying Offer: Tyrell Goulbourne, F; Robert Hagg, D; Taylor Leier, F; Alex Lyon, G; Danick Martel, F; Anthony Stolarz, G; Reece Willcox , D
Did Not: Petr Mrazek, G

Skip over those who received offers and go straight to Mrazek, who could be facing a defining moment in his career. Once the future in Detroit, Mrazek was unprotected in expansion and subsequently traded by the Red Wings, only to have his time in Philadelphia fall flat and have the Flyers allow him to walk for nothing. There’s potential there, he’s shown it, but he needs to land with a team that will allow him to find his confidence again.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Received Qualifying Offer: Teddy Blueger, F; Thomas Di Pauli, F; Tristan Jarry, G; Jamie Oleksiak, D; Andrey Pedan, D; Ethan Prow, D; Bryan Rust , F
Did Not: Frank Corrado, D; Vincent Dunn, F; Tom Kuhnhackl, F; Riley Sheahan, F

Again, it’s most worthwhile to skip ahead to those not qualified, particularly Kuhnhackl and Sheahan. For the former, chances are he’ll be allowed to walk to make roster space and clear some cap room for younger players to come into the fold. The former, however, is reportedly engaged in contract talks and there’s interest in bringing him back next season. Why no qualifying offer, then? Well, this way the risk of arbitration is gone, meaning if Sheahan wants to be paid a rate the Penguins don’t like or don’t believe will work, they’re free to walk.

SAN JOSE SHARKS
Received Qualifying Offer: Tomas Hertl, F; Chris Tierney, F
Did Not: Dylan DeMelo, D

DeMelo’s an interesting exclusion, but San Jose seems to be in a holding pattern when it comes to spending money at the moment as they pursue John Tavares. If they miss on Tavares, though, the Sharks could realistically swing back around to DeMelo after the 25-year-old showed some offensive flair last season with 20 assists in 63 games as a depth defensemen. As for Hertl and Tierney, expect deals hammered out at some point this summer, quite possibly before either reaches arbitration.

ST. LOUIS BLUES
Received Qualifying Offer:Beau Bennett, F; Jordan Binnington, G; Joel Edmundson, D; Robby Fabbri, F; Dmitrij Jaskin, F; Petteri Lindbohm, D; MacKenzie MacEachern, F; Jordan Schmaltz, D; Oskar Sundqvist, F
Did Not: Justin Selman, F; Thomas Vannelli, D

A busy day for the Blues, who extended offers to nine players. Edmundson, Fabbri, Jaskin and Schmaltz seem as though they’ll get deals figured out at some point sooner than later, while it might be a matter of taking the best offer from the Blues for the remaining five RFAs. Bennett remains an interesting case, too. His inability to stay healthy has hindered him, but he was a near point per game player in the AHL last season.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Received Qualifying Offer: Adam Erne, F; Slater Koekkoek, D; J.T. Miller, F; Cedric Paquette, F
Did Not: Alex Gallant, F

Of the four qualified RFAs, Erne is the only one without arbitration rights, and the Lightning, much like the Sharks, will likely be waiting to get deals ironed out with the three arbitration-eligible free agents given they’re still in on the Tavares sweepstakes. Miller’s contract is going to be a costly one, so that’s one to keep an eye on as the off-season rolls on.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Received Qualifying Offer: Miro Aaltonen, F; Frederik Gauthier, F; Justin Holl, D; Andreas Johnsson, F; Martin Marincin, D; William Nylander, F
Did Not:

The offer is just a formality when it comes to Nylander, because now the real contract talks have to begin. The Maple Leafs will want to keep the young, prolific scorer around, and he could haul down big bucks on an extension, particularly if it’s a long-term deal. Also worth noting is Aaltonen’s offer, which ensures the Maple Leafs will retain his rights as the Finn is rumored to be heading to the KHL.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Received Qualifying Offer: Sven Baertschi, F; Troy Stecher, D; Jake Virtanen, F
Did Not: Cole Cassels, F; Anton Cederholm, F; Griffen Molino, D; Derrick Pouliot, D; Mackenze Stewart, D

No surprises on those who received offers, but that Pouliot has been left without an offer from the Canucks is somewhat surprising. This could, however, be a Sheahan-esque case where Vancouver doesn’t want to get locked into an arbitration situation. So, don’t rule out a return for Pouliot, who had himself a nice three-goal, 22-point campaign with the Canucks in 2017-18.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Received Qualifying Offer: Tom Wilson, F; Madison Bowey, D; Travis Boyd, F; Liam O'Brien, F; Riley Barber, F
Did Not: Adam Carlson, G; Adam Chapie, F; Tim McGauley, F; Devante Smith-Pelly, F

Wilson’s likely to land a deal with some term in the near future, Bowey seems a great bridge-deal candidate who will be given a chance to prove himself and Boyd, O’Brien and Barber are no major concern. The eye-catcher here is Smith-Pelly, but, just like Sheahan and Pouliot, this doesn’t mean he’s a goner. There’s still a chance for Washington to negotiate a deal with ‘DSP,’ but he could very well seek a bigger and better deal elsewhere following his standout post-season performance.

WINNIPEG JETS
Received Qualifying Offer:Joel Armia, F; Eric Comrie, G; Marko Dano, F; Chase De Leo, F; Connor Hellebuyck, G; JC Lipon, F; Adam Lowry, F; Josh Morrissey, D; Nic Petan, F; Tucker Poolman, D; Brandon Tanev, F; Jacob Trouba , D
Did Not: Jan Kostalek, D; Jimmy Lodge, F; Joe Morrow, D; Jamie Phillips, G

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is going to be a busy man this summer, and he even said it would be reasonable to expect a few arbitration hearings down the line. That’s not all that surprising given six notable RFAs are eligible, including Hellebuyck, Trouba, Armia, Lowry, Tanev and Poolman. Winnipeg also has to work out a deal with Morrissey, which could prove awfully pricy. So, if you’re left wondering why deadline acquisition Morrow is being let walk, there’s the reason.

(Note: The Chicago Blackhawks and Vegas Golden Knights have not made qualifying offer information public. It was reported by The Athletic’s Scott Powers, however, that Chicago has not made offers to Michael Chaput, Adam Clendening, Anthony Duclair or Tomas Jurco.)

Want more in-depth features and expert analysis on the game you love? Subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.