Dallas Announces Qualifying Offers for Texas Stars Gaunce and Glennie

Cameron Gaunce (Credit: Christina Shapiro/Texas Stars)

Today is the deadline for NHL teams to issue qualifying offers to their restricted free agents. There were only two players who played for Texas this year who received offers. Cameron Gaunce and Scott Glennie were the only two players to receive offers.

Ryan Button, Hubert Labrie, Dustin Jeffrey, Austin Smith and Tristan King did not receive offers. They will become unrestricted free agents now and are free to sign with any team. Jeffrey is likely the only player who will garner NHL consideration among the group.

This is mostly what I expected with regard to the RFA group. Gaunce and Glennie were the only sure things in the crew. Smith and King were the only certain "no"s. Among the toss-up group, none of the RFAs were offered.

Hubert Labrie and Ryan Button will probably garner AHL interest this coming season. Tristan King may head to Europe given his limited success this past season in the ECHL. Austin Smith has already signed in Finland.

Dustin Jeffrey has the potential to be a quality veteran add, a la Chris Mueller, for another NHL team. He can be used in a similar role, being a top minute AHL guy who also can plug holes in the NHL roster when needed. Dallas must feel they have other players who can do that now, whether that is Travis Morin or a re-signed Chris Mueller. Either way, it's not Dustin Jeffrey.

Free agency starts tomorrow. Most of the players who will play at the AHL level next season won't start coming off the board until July 5th at the earliest.

(Click here to view the exit interview category to read more about what I've written on these RFAs)