On the eve of free agency, it was the deadline for teams to submit qualifying offers to their pending RFAs. For the Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens], that meant goaltenders Jakub Dobes and Cayden Primeau, forwards Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Sean Farrell, Xavier Simoneau, and defensemen Jayden Struble, William Trudeau, Gustav Lindstrom, and Noel Hoefenmayer. In Lindstrom’s case, it matters very little since the right-shot 26-year-old blueliner has already signed a five-year deal with Djurgårdens in the SHL. Considering his age and the length of the agreement, it would be surprising to see him return this side of the pond. Very Different Fortunes For Two Former Canadiens Defensemen [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/very-different-fortunes-for-two-former-canadiens-defensemen] Will The Canadiens Go Big Game Hunting? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/will-the-canadiens-go-big-game-hunting] Canadiens’ Christian Dvorak: Will He Stay Or Will He Go? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-christian-dvorak-will-he-stay-or-will-he-go] As for Rafael Harvey-Pinard, who had made the most of his opportunity when the Injury Ninja hit the Canadiens hard during the 2022-23 season when he recorded 20 points in 34 games with the Habs and turned that into a 2-year deal with a $1.1 M AAV, he did not receive a qualifying offer. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s done in Montreal; they could still sign him as a free agent, but it does mean the Canadiens weren’t ready to offer him $1,000,000, which was his qualifying offer. Simoneau and Hoefenmayer didn’t receive an offer either. Simoneau is a 5-foot-7, 24-year-old left-shot center who had a rough season with the Laval Rocket this year. In 58 games, he could only muster 21 points, down from 38 in 2022-23 and 37 in 2023-24. He was a sixth-round pick by Montreal at the 2021 draft, and in nine playoff games this postseason, he notched three points. As for Hoefenmayer, he was obtained in a trade with the Oilers in December in which the Canadiens sent Jacob Perreault their way. The 26-year-old left-shot defenseman was a fourth-round pick by the Arizona Coyotes at the 2017 draft. In 32 games with the Rocket this season, he recorded 14 points in 32 games but was only dressed in six of the Laval outfit’s playoff games. Photo credit: Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] on The Hockey News.
