The Carolina Hurricanes made one of their final pre-free agency moves on Monday, sorting through qualifying offers for a group of restricted free agents and leaving a few notable names without one.
Out of 11 eligible players, seven were extended qualifying offers, preserving the Hurricanes’ rights on each of them. That group includes forwards Viktor Neuchev, Noel Gunler and Justin Robidas; defensemen Alexander Nikishin, Aleksi Heimosalmi and Ronan Seeley; and goaltender Cayden Primeau.
Those seven now have the first 15 days of free agency to accept the offers. Even after that window, Carolina can still keep negotiating new contracts.
The players who did not receive qualifying offers were forward Skyler Brind'Amour, defenseman Domenick Fensore, and goaltenders Amir Miftakhov and Nikita Quapp. Brind'Amour’s situation stands out most, since he is the son of Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour.
He made his NHL debut late in the 2024-25 season and scored a goal in that appearance. Fensore, meanwhile, has appeared in three NHL games over the past two seasons and has been a major piece for the Chicago Wolves.
Brind'Amour and Fensore both seemed like possible return candidates for another year, even if they’re already on the older side for AHL players with limited NHL time. The decisions on Miftakhov and Quapp were less surprising. They are still free to return to Carolina as unrestricted free agents, but that looks unlikely right now.
It’s the kind of business that can be cold, even when it’s routine. Letting Brind'Amour reach the market is an awkward call on paper, but the Hurricanes are clearly making the choices they believe best position the organization going forward. The next step will be sorting out new deals for the seven players who were qualified, and those conversations should be settled by the time training camp rolls around.
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