On the eve of free agency, it was the deadline for teams to submit qualifying offers to their pending RFAs. For the 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.

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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

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The Chicago Blackhawks have officially reached July. The draft is in the rear-view mirror, and NHL teams only have free agency and trades left to improve their franchises. 

On Monday, the last day of June, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reported the news that the Blackhawks have extended qualifying offers to Wyatt Kaiser, Louis Crevier, and Arvid Soderblom. All of them remain restricted free agents.

Philipp Kurashev did not receive one and will become an unrestricted free agent. This will likely end his five-year tenure in Chicago, the team that drafted him. 

Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) on XBlackhawks have given qualifying offers to Wyatt Kaiser, Louis Crevier and Arvid Soderblom, per source. They all remain RFAs. Crevier and Soderblom have arbitration rights. Kaiser does not. Philipp Kurashev was not qualified and becomes a UFA.

Kaiser and Crevier are defensemen who will likely rotate in and out of Chicago’s lineup during the 2025-26 season. They are both solid and deserve playing time. Each of them may even get some games in the AHL to stay fresh. Chicago has a lot of serviceable defenders, which is a good problem to have. 

As for Soderblom, unless the Blackhawks make a move on an established veteran goalie, an extension would likely mean an opportunity to be Spencer Knight’s backup in 2025-26. 

Soderblom had an outstanding year in different roles for Chicago. Whether he was the number one, the backup, or splitting time at any point in the year, the Hawks knew that they had a reliable player between the pipes. 

As for Kurashev, he fell out of favor with the current folks in charge. After a strong 2023-24 season that saw him have 18 goals and 36 assists for 54 points in 75 games, he took a major step back with just 7 goals and 7 assists for 14 points in 51 games in 2024-25. He was mostly a healthy scratch down the stretch. 

Kurashev will find work elsewhere. Another team will give him a chance based on his good moments in the past. Kyle Davidson and his staff are much more focused on players that they brought into the organization. 

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