Draft finished, qualifying RFAs is Blackhawks’ next offseason task

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The first element of the NHL’s summer free-agency masquerade climaxes Tuesday with the qualifying-offer deadline for restricted free agents.

In layman’s terms, teams must submit offers to its RFAs — players under 26 with expiring contracts — generally equivalent to each player’s previous contract to prevent such RFAs from shifting status to unrestricted free agents July 1.

After the draft, qualifying offers are the next item on all 31 general managers’ agendas, and it’s no different for Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks: The team has 11 RFAs, including three who played in the NHL full-time last season, to decide on.

“There are a couple of guys we’re still deciding between,” Bowman said Saturday at the draft. “That’s kind of the next order of business after today.”

Forwards Brendan Perlini, David Kampf, Dylan Sikura, newly acquired John Quenneville, Anthony Louis, Victor Ejdsell, Luke Johnson and Spencer Watson, defensemen Gustav Forsling and Blake Hillman and goaltender Anton Forsberg make up the full list of pending RFAs.

Perlini, 23, will be brought back after showing some promise in 2018-19. His agent confirmed Monday he has been qualified and negotiations on a new contract have begun.

“He’s a streaky goal-scorer, [but] he still ended up with 14 goals even though he didn’t get going right away with us,” Bowman said. “There are a lot of guys who never get 14 in the whole year, so he’s got that unique ability to put the puck in the net. I think there’s a lot more there.”

Sikura, whom the coaching staff has highlighted as a player they’re optimistic can make a jump in 2019-20, will get another shot, too.

Kampf also likely will return — his performance last season justified a new extension, and he’s only 24.

The most intriguing decisions involve Forsling, Forsberg and Quenneville.

Forsling, 23, despite playing in at least 38 NHL games each of the last three seasons, can still be tendered a two-way qualifying offer. Nonetheless, he could be the odd man out in an increasingly crowded defensive group.

Bowman adeptly evaded a question on Saturday about Forsling’s future.

Quenneville, the return from the Devils in the John Hayden trade, was probably chosen for the trade because of his RFA status — Hayden, conversely, had a year left on a binding one-way contract. Yet Bowman said he plans to sign the 2014 first-round pick.

Forsberg actually had a great .919 save percentage in the AHL last season, but with Collin Delia earning the NHL backup position moving forward, the Hawks will probably let him move on to a better opportunity elsewhere. Whether that comes via not issuing a qualifying offer or filing one, then trading his rights later in the summer remains to be determined.

The remaining RFAs are minor-leaguers at this point, and although some (particularly Watson and Hillman) could be victims of the Hawks’ pursuit of wiggle room within the 50-contract limit, their qualification or lack thereof won’t make much of a ripple either way.

The deadline is 4 p.m. Tuesday.