(Las Vegas) Even if the organization does not completely close the door to a return of Jesse Ylönen, it seems that his time with the Canadian is over.
Published at 6:33 p.m.
During a press conference on the eve of the NHL draft, the club’s vice-president of hockey operations, Jeff Gorton, indicated that the Finnish forward would not receive a qualifying offer in the coming days. He will therefore become an unrestricted free agent on March 1.is next July.
A second-round pick in 2018, Ylönen never managed to demonstrate that he could play in the NHL on a regular basis, despite numerous chances to demonstrate his know-how.
Last season, in a rebuilding team, and despite multiple injuries or departures within the offensive trios, he had to settle for eight points, including four goals, in 59 games. For him, at 24, it was a first campaign spent entirely in the NHL.
Arriving in North America in 2021, he was able to adapt his game to that of the American League, amassing 70 points in 91 games in his last two campaigns with the Laval Rocket. The next step, so far, seemed too high.
As his contract expires these days, he was going to become a free agent with compensation. To retain his services, the Habs had to submit a qualifying offer, an administrative formality that will be done, unsurprisingly, with defenders Justin Barron and Arber Xhekaj.
As we now know, that’s not going to happen. Ylönen will instead be able to try his luck with another club.
“We talked to his agent, and he felt the need to get a fresh start somewhere else,” Jeff Gorton said. “We’ll see what happens, and if nothing comes up for him, he’s a player we like and we know well. But at this point in his career, if he wants to try something else, we’re OK with that,” Gorton continued.
The door, therefore, remains open, although we can easily deduce that management does not see him in the training which will begin the 2024-2025 season in Montreal.
