The Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche have told forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel he will not receive a qualifying offer and will become a free agent when the market opens Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of the decision.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the team had not yet announced its decisions on which pending restricted free agents will be qualified before the NHL deadline. Players not receiving qualifying offers are eligible to become unrestricted free agents.
The 26-year-old Aube-Kubel has four seasons of NHL experience and was claimed by Colorado after being waived by the Philadelphia Flyers in November. He had 11 goals and 22 points in 67 regular-season games for the Avalanche, and had no points in 14 playoff games.
Aube-Kubel learned of the decision two days after bringing the Cup to his childhood home in Quebec.
Elsewhere, the Columbus Blue Jackets declined to make offers to defenseman Gabriel Carlsson and center Kevin Stenlund. Carlsson has just two goals and 16 points in 75 career games split over six seasons since being selected by Columbus in the first round (29th overall) in the 2015 draft. Stenlund was a second-round pick in 2015 and has 11 goals and 20 points in 71 games over four seasons.
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