Ryan MacInnis has accepted his qualifying offer from the Columbus Blue Jackets, signing a one-year two-way contract worth $874,125 at the NHL level. He will be a restricted free agent again in 2020.
The son of legendary NHL defenseman Al MacInnis, the Blue Jackets prospect hasn’t had quite the same impact at the professional level so far. Selected 43rd overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2014, he failed to bring any of the scoring touch he had in junior to the AHL level. Recording just 34 points in 136 games for the Tucson Roadrunners, he was eventually flipped to the Blue Jackets last summer. He ended up actually setting a professional career high with 24 points for the Cleveland Monsters, but still was only able to tally four goals.
That low goal total made it curious when the Blue Jackets decided to issue a qualifying offer to the 23-year old MacInnis, but perhaps they see enough potential in him to believe he can still be a valuable part of the organization. He is almost certainly ticketed for the Monsters once again, though he will have to pass through waivers at the start of the season.