According to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch, the Blue Jackets will not sign either of Sam Ruopp or Markus Soberg, their two remaining draft picks whose rights will expire tomorrow. In early April, we examined the list of players closing in on the expiry date thanks to the help of CapFriendly’s list. Here that list is, with the updated contract situations.
Buffalo Sabres
Devante Stephens (5th round, 2015) — Signed, three years, $743K
Giorgio Estephan (6th round, 2015)
Gustav Possler (5th round, 2013)
Calgary Flames
Riley Bruce (7th round, 2015)
Carolina Hurricanes
Steven Lorentz (7th round, 2015) — Signed, three years, $728K
Chicago Blackhawks
Robin Press (7th round, 2013) — Signed, one year, AHL contract
Roy Radke (6th round, 2015)
Colorado Avalanche
Wilhelm Westlund (7th round, 2013)
Columbus Blue Jackets
Sam Ruopp (5th round, 2015) — Will not sign
Markus Soberg (6th round, 2013) — Will not sign
Dallas Stars
Aleksi Makela (7th round, 2013)
Matej Paulovic (5th round, 2013)
Detroit Red Wings
Hampus Melen (7th round, 2013)
Adam Marsh (7th round, 2015)
Edmonton Oilers
Miroslav Svoboda (7th round, 2015)
Los Angeles Kings
Chaz Reddekopp (7th round, 2015) — Signed, three years, $733K
Matt Schmalz (5th round, 2015)
Montreal Canadiens
Matt Bradley (5th round, 2015)
Nashville Predators
Janne Juvonen (7th round, 2013)
Evan Smith (7th round, 2015)
Emil Pettersson (6th round, 2013) — Signed, two years, $744K
Saku Maenalanen (5th round, 2013)
New York Islanders
Ryan Pilon (5th round, 2015)
Victor Crus-Rydberg (5th round, 2013)
New York Rangers
Brad Morrison (4th round, 2015)
Philadelphia Flyers
Samuel Dove-McFalls (4th round, 2015)
San Jose Sharks
Fredreik Bergvik (4th round, 2013)
St. Louis Blues
Santeri Saari (6th round, 2013)
Glenn Gawdin (4th round, 2015)
Liam Dunda (6th round, 2015)
Tampa Bay Lightning
Bokondji Imama (6th round, 2015) — Traded to Kings and signed, three years, amount unknown
Saku Salminen (7th round, 2013)
Toronto Maple Leafs
Stephen Desrocher (6th round, 2015)
Fabrice Herzog (5th round, 2013)
Nikita Korostelev (7th round, 2015)
Vancouver Canucks
Carl Neill (5th round, 2015)
Tate Olson (7th round, 2015)
Winnipeg Jets
Marcus Karlstrom (7th round, 2013)
Matteo Gennaro (7th round, 2015)
Jansen Harkins (2nd round, 2015) — Signed, three years, $768K
Teams will lose the exclusive rights to these players should they not be signed by 4pm CST Thursday, making the next 24 hours extremely important if they should see any potential in them. Many of these players won’t accept AHL contracts to stay in the organization, hoping rather to hit the open market and find an entry-level deal somewhere. While none of them are high draft picks, several do still offer interesting possibilities and have found success in junior or international leagues.