With most unrestricted free agent signings now out of the way, some may say there is not much going on in the NHL. However, that's not entirely the case. There are a lot of restricted free agents who have yet to sign with their teams.
The list of former QMJHL players who are now RFAs isn't extensive, but there are still some important names.
The most notable RFA on this list is Dawson Mercer. Before becoming an NHL regular with the New Jersey Devils, who drafted him 18th overall in 2020, the Newfoundland-born forward played four seasons in the QMJHL, putting up 84 goals and 186 points in 194 games.
He transitioned smoothly to the NHL in the 2021-22 season and tallied an impressive 17 goals and 42 points in his rookie season. He avoided a sophomore slump the following season with 27 goals and 56 points, but had more trouble taking the next step this past season. Although Mercer struggled, he's still young at 22 years old and has not missed an NHL game since first being inserted in the lineup. Expect him to bounce back next season.
Another memorable former QMJHL player who is now an RFA is Joe Veleno. Many know Veleno as the first player from Quebec to be granted exceptional status to play in the QMJHL as a 15-year-old. Although he was granted this status, Veleno slid in the draft rankings and ultimately fell to the Detroit Red Wings, who selected him with the 30th overall pick in the 2018 draft.
Unlike Mercer, Veleno had a rocky path when it came to adjusting himself to the NHL. But he put up career-high statistics last season with 12 goals and 28 points in 80 games. The Montreal-born center is likely to receive less money than Mercer on his next contract, but could fit nicely on a young Red Wings team as a middle-six player if he continues to progress.
The next player on this list is also the only to have been traded so far in his career. During the 2022 trade deadline, defenseman Justin Barron was part of the return in a package that sent Artturi Lehkonen to the Colorado Avalanche. Since arriving with the Canadiens, Barron has flipped between the NHL and AHL. Expect him to challenge for a full-time spot with the Canadiens next season.
Barron is the only player on this list to have played his whole QMJHL career with the same team, playing four seasons with his hometown Halifax Mooseheads. Here, he put up 11 goals and 112 points in 186 games.
The final defenseman on this list had a breakout season with the Los Angeles Kings. In his first season as a full-time NHLer, Jordan Spence amassed two goals and 24 points in 71 games. He's also the first player to be born in Australia to play in the league. This is even more impressive given he was introduced to hockey while residing in Japan.
A majority of his QMJHL days were spent with the Moncton Wildcats, as well as one season with the Val D'Or Foreurs in the end. Spence showed offensive upside throughout his junior career by tallying 25 goals and 141 points in 160 games. The Kings will likely turn to Spence to fill a bigger role next season.
