On Thursday, Montreal Canadiens VP of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton met with reporters in Las Vegas ahead of the draft tomorrow and said that the team will not issue Jesse Ylonen a qualifying offer and he's become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
Ylonen, 24, was selected 35th overall by the Canadiens in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and didn't become a full-time NHLer until this past season. Prior to 2023-24, Ylonen was bouncing up and down between Montreal and their American Hockey League affiliate in Laval.
Despite playing in 22 more games in 2023-24 than the season prior, Ylonen saw his production reduce by half, something the Canadiens coaching staff and front office probably weren't happy with, leading to today's decision.
In 59 games this past season, Ylonen had eight points (four goals, four assists), 12 penalty minutes and was a plus-two.
It shouldn't be much of an issue for Ylonen to find a new NHL home for next season on the free agent market. He's still young and has potential, but will likely have a bottom-six role yet again and spend time in the American Hockey League with his new club.
