June 25, 2012 12:29 PM
According to a list released by the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, restricted free agents Matthew Pistilli and Cedric McNicoll will not receive qualifying offers and are headed to the open market on July 1.
Those two forwards, each of whom split their expiring, three-year, entry-level contracts between the AHL and ECHL, will now be free to find new teams at the start of the unrestricted free agent period this Sunday. In order to retain their rights, the Canes needed to present them with a qualifying offer by 5 p.m. on Monday, which they have elected not to do.
Defenseman Kyle Lawson, who appeared a total of 28 AHL games in his first two professional seasons but spent all of this past season with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, was the only other player to not receive a qualifying offer. Lawson was a seventh-round draft choice of the Hurricanes in 2005.
As expected, Drayson Bowman, Zach Boychuk, Evgenii Dadonov, Mike Murphy, Jerome Samson and Chris Terry all received qualifying offers and will remain property of the Hurricanes organization regardless of whether or not they sign a new contract. With the exception of Murphy, who has already signed a contract to play the next two seasons in Russia, Carolina will aim to sign those players to new contracts in the coming weeks.
In his first full AHL campaign, Pistilli, 23, recorded career highs in goals (12) assists (13) and points (25) in 75 games with the Checkers this past season. The undrafted 6-foot-2, 219-pound native of Quebec originally signed with the Hurricanes following the conclusion of his junior career with Gatineau and Shawinigan of the QMJHL in 2009.
The Checkers assigned McNicoll, 23, to the Everblades in January following the trade that brought Dadonov and fellow forward A.J. Jenks to the organization. McNicoll, who had appeared in 17 of Charlotte’s games on either side of a lengthy injury spell, finished the season with Florida and tied for the league lead in scoring with 21 points (4g, 17a) as the Everblades captured the Kelly Cup Championship in 18 games. The undrafted Quebec native came to the Hurricanes organization in a 2010 deadline-day trade that sent Hurricanes center Stephane Yelle to Colorado.
Other recent Checkers headed to unrestricted free agency on Sunday, provided the Hurricanes do not resign them first, include goalie Justin Peters, defenseman Mathieu Roy and forwards Chris Durno, Justin Soryal and Brett Sutter. |
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