Puljujarvi of Hurricanes among players not receiving qualifying offers

Jesse Puljujarvi did not receive a qualifying offer from the Carolina Hurricanes and will become an unrestricted free agent Saturday.

The 25-year-old forward had 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 75 regular-season games this season, including two assists in 17 games after being acquired in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers for forward prospect Patrik Puistola on Feb. 28. Puljujarvi had one assist in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Hurricanes.

Puljujarvi, the No. 4 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, has 114 points (51 goals, 63 assists) in 334 games.

He joins forwards Denis Gurianov (Montreal Canadiens), Tyson Jost (Buffalo Sabres), Morgan Geekie (Seattle Kraken) and Daniel Sprong (Kraken), defenseman Ethan Bear (Vancouver Canucks) and goalie Mackenzie Blackwood (San Jose Sharks) among notable players who did not receive a qualifying offer and will become unrestricted free agents.

Geekie and Sprong have been key contributors for the Kraken since they joined the NHL as an expansion team for the 2021-22 season, when Geekie had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 73 games. This season, the 24-year-old had 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) in 69 games and four points (two goals, two assists) in 13 playoff games to help Seattle reach Game 7 of the Western Conference Second Round before being eliminated by the Dallas Stars.

Sprong, 26, had 46 points (21 goals, 25 assists) in 66 games this season. He had one goal and one assist in 10 playoff games.

Gurianov had eight points (five goals, three assists) in 23 games after he was traded to the Canadiens by the Stars for forward Evgenii Dadonov on Feb. 26. The 26-year-old scored in overtime for a 3-2 win against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the 2020 Western Conference Final to put Dallas into the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2000. He has 111 points (51 goals, 60 assists) in 280 regular-season games and 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in 32 playoff games.

Bear will miss the start of next season after having shoulder surgery in June and is expected out until December. The 25-year-old was injured playing for Canada during the 2023 IIHF World Championship. He had 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 61 games this season and has 63 points (16 goals, 47 assists) in 251 games with the Oilers, Hurricanes and Canucks. Bear does not have a point in eight playoff games.

Jost had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 59 games after the Sabres claimed him off waivers from the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 19, 2022. The No. 10 pick by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2016 NHL Draft, he has 134 points (54 goals, 80 assists) in 413 games for the Avalanche, Wild and Sabres.

Blackwood was traded to the Sharks by the New Jersey Devils on June 27 for a sixth-round pick (No. 164) in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft. The 26-year-old was 10-6-2 with a 3.20 goals-against average and .893 save percentage in 22 regular-season games (20 starts) and did not play in the playoffs. He's 65-57-18 with a 2.97 GAA, .906 save percentage and eight shutouts in 152 regular-season games (143 starts).