NHL clubs decided whether to present qualifying offers to their pending RFAs or not.
Players who didn’t receive qualifying offers by the 5 p.m. ET deadline on Monday become UFAs on Tuesday’s NHL free agency opener.
There are some talented and solid players who were let go by their teams and will hit the open market. Here are some of the top players becoming UFAs.
Philipp Kurashev, C
The Chicago Blackhawks let go of Philipp Kurashev after he had a down year. The 25-year-old scored seven goals and 14 points in 51 games last season. The team had four pending RFAs, and Kurashev was the only player who didn’t receive a qualifying offer.
It may come as a shock to some because in 2023-24, Kurashev recorded 18 goals and 36 assists for 54 points. The Swiss center had the second-most points on the team that season behind Connor Bedard’s 64.
Jordan Harris, D
In a world where right-handed defensemen are in high demand, Jordan Harris became available in free agency. The 24-year-old joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of the trade that sent right winger Patrik Laine to the Montreal Canadiens.
It didn’t seem to work out in Columbus, as Harris’ average ice time went down by six minutes from this past season compared to 2023-24. The D-man finished this past campaign with a goal and five points in 33 appearances with the Jackets.
Nikolai Kovalenko, RW
Nikolai Kovalenko could fly under many teams’ radars this off-season. The Russian right winger is coming off his first NHL season, playing for the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks.
In 57 games, the 25-year-old scored seven goals and 20 points while averaging 12:20 of ice time. Before entering the NHL, he was a respectable scorer in the KHL with Nizhny Novgorod. Kovalenko scored 11 goals and 35 points in 42 games in his final season overseas.
Philip Tomasino, C
Philip Tomasino is the youngest player among all the RFAs who didn’t receive qualifying offers. On top of that, the 23-year-old had the most points last season among those unqualified RFAs.
Tomasino scored 11 goals and 24 points in 61 contests with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators last season. He played up and down Pittsburgh’s lineup, ending the season averaging 13:27 of ice time.
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Pontus Holmberg, RW
The Toronto Maple Leafs let go of Pontus Holmberg. The 26-year-old Swede is coming off a career-high season, scoring seven goals and 19 points.
The Maple Leafs leaned on Holmberg several times this past season during tough stretches of injuries. Holmberg played the second-most games of the unqualified RFAs, sitting only behind Anaheim Ducks center Isac Lundestrom, who played 79 games.
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