The Boston Bruins announced today that they have extended qualifying offers to the following players: Jeremy Swayman, Michael Callahan, Marc McLaughlin, and Alec Regula.
Curtis Hall, Jesper Boqvist and Joey Abate did not receive qualifying offers and will become unrestricted free agents on July 1 (except Abate). Kyle Keyser, Reilly Walsh, and Oskar Steen have not signed new contracts and will become group 6 unrestricted free agents on July 1. The organization had already granted Steen permission to explore contract opportunities elsewhere.
For Hall, it seemed inevitable. As each draft went by, he found himself being overlooked. His prime opportunity came with the Providence Bruins in the 2021-2022 season, but as time progressed, those opportunities began to wane as new draft picks came in and seemed to surpass him.
Abate is also an interesting decision only because he didn’t sign his NHL contract until March of this year. It’s not surprising however because Abate would be eligible to become a Group 6 UFA following the end of the 2024-2025 season. Abate still has an AHL contract and will remain with Providence.
It is surprising that Boqvist did not receive a qualifying offer. Most fans thought he did well in his stint with Boston, but there isn’t a lot of room on the bottom six.
Dom - Hockey 