Blues Qualify McMichael, Let Berggren and Kessel Enter Free Agency

The St. Louis Blues have made a significant move by issuing a qualifying offer to newly-acquired forward Connor McMichael, while allowing two notable players to enter unrestricted free agency. The decision not to extend qualifying offers to forward Jonatan Berggren and defenseman Matthew Kessel, along with forward Thomas Bordeleau, was confirmed by PuckPedia, although the Blues have yet to officially announce their qualifying offer list as of Monday evening.

The qualifying offer to McMichael, who joined the Blues from the Washington Capitals last week, comes as no surprise. The 25-year-old was part of a trade package that also brought in a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a first-round pick (No. 16) in the 2026 NHL Draft, which the Blues used to select center Maddox Dagenais.

In contrast, the decision to not extend a qualifying offer to Berggren is somewhat unexpected. Claimed off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings last season, Berggren recorded 16 points, including six goals and ten assists, in 36 games. The 25-year-old was under a one-year contract worth $1.825 million and was anticipated to compete for a third-line spot with the Blues. However, he will now enter unrestricted free agency on Wednesday at 11 a.m. (CT), leaving the door open for a potential return.

Matthew Kessel, a fifth-round pick by the Blues in 2020, also found himself without a qualifying offer. The 26-year-old, who played on a two-year, $1.6 million contract, notched two goals and an assist in 29 games last season. With the recent addition of Brandon Carlo from the Toronto Maple Leafs and the emergence of players like Theo Lindstein and Adam Jiricek, Kessel’s role appeared to diminish, leading to this decision.

Connor McMichael is arbitration-eligible, and with Alexander Steen taking over as general manager on July 1, it is expected that the Blues will prioritize wrapping up these restricted free agent contracts swiftly. Additionally, Mikhail Abramov, who joined the Blues from the Maple Leafs, has spent the last two seasons in the KHL, while Leo Loof, a third-round pick in 2020, has returned to Finland’s Liiga after three seasons in the AHL with Springfield.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.