The deadline to tender qualifying offers to restricted free agents is June 30 by 5 p.m. ET. Players who don’t get qualified can test the open market as unrestricted free agents. It’s the appetizer before free agency gets underway, and it often adds some intriguing talent to the field. A year ago, the Chicago Blackhawks chose not to retain the rights to forwards Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik, while the Washington Capitals walked away from netminder Ilya Samsonov and the Anaheim Ducks cut loose forwards Sonny Milano and Sam Steel.
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NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported Tuesday that it is unlikely that the Anaheim Ducks will issue a qualifying offer to Max Comtois, who was selected in the second round (50th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
Despite possessing all the tools to be a top-notch prospect, Comtois has taken some major steps backward over the past two seasons. For that reason, the decision of Anaheim to move on from the relationship probably shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. His qualifying offer was set for $2.445 million, which would be a hefty price tag for someone who has been trending in the wrong direction. Comtois has generated a mere 15 goals and 20 assists over his last 116 outings. It has been a disappointing turn of events for the 24-year-old forward after he led the Ducks in scoring during the 2020-21 campaign with 16 goals and 33 points in 55 contests.
Progression Hits a Wall
Comtois underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his hand in Nov. 2021, which led to a hot-and-cold finish to the 2021-22 season. Pointing to the injury as a valid excuse for his dip in production may have bought Comtois a temporary reprieve, but he has seemingly run out of chances with the Ducks after failing to live up to expectations again in 2022-23. With his role on the team diminishing, the writing was on the wall that his time with Anaheim was coming to an end. Comtois averaged a career-low 13:49 of ice time last season. He gradually slid down the depth chart to the fourth line and spent some time in the press box as a healthy scratch. He was kept out of the lineup for the final three matches of the 2022-23 campaign, finishing with just nine goals and 19 points in 64 appearances.
It would have been interesting to see if Comtois improved under new head coach Greg Cronin after he appeared to fall out of favor with former Ducks bench boss Dallas Eakins. However, Comtois will look to land his opportunity to get back on track with a different organization. His 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame, willingness to play with a physical edge, and ability to play at both ends of the ice make him a solid bet for a bounce-back performance.
Comtois has shown that he is capable of producing offensively despite his recent struggles. He would benefit tremendously from a change of scenery, but he will likely need to prove himself before he receives a spot as a top-six forward again. His performances with Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship 2021 and 2022, in which he accounted for seven goals and 13 points in 20 games, indicate that he could flourish again if placed in the right situation.
Plenty of Low-Risk, High-Reward Appeal
Comtois should be an attractive option on the open market. He has been linked to the Montreal Canadiens before via trade rumors, so it would make sense if they checked in on him as a free agent despite their recent acquisition of Alex Newhook from the Colorado Avalanche.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Calgary Flames could be in the mix because they would benefit from some reinforcements at forward. The Lightning dealt Ross Colton to the Avalanche on Wednesday and are poised to bid farewell to pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) Alex Killorn and Corey Perry. Meanwhile, Calgary sent Tyler Toffoli to New Jersey on Tuesday and may be facing plenty of other changes. The Toronto Maple Leafs might be an option as well, given that the team is typically on the lookout for bargain wingers and have holes to fill in the bottom-six forward group. The same can be said for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who will be looking to bolster their depth this offseason.
