In a move that couldn't be considered much of a surprise, the Blue Jackets won't sign previous draft picks Markus Søberg and Sam Ruopp before the deadline to relinquish organizational control.
The news was first reported by the Columbus Dispatch's Aaron Portzline.
#CBJ will not sign D Sam Ruopp (2015, 5/129) or F Markus Soberg (2013, 6/165), relinquishing their rights to each player.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) May 31, 2017
The two would have had to sign by June for Columbus to retain rights, Ruopp because he was a 2015 draft pick from North America and Søberg because he was a '13 choice from Europe. Per Portzline, Ruopp goes back into the draft pool while Søberg becomes a free agent.
Søberg, 22, was a sixth round pick in 2013. The winger from Norway came up through Frolunda's youth system before becoming to the U.S. in the 2014-15 season to play with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires. He spent 83 games with Windsor over two seasons, scoring 16 goals with 22 assists before returning to Europe. He had a 13-15-28 line last year in 30 games with Stavanger in Norway.
Ruopp, 21, is a 2015 fifth-round pick from Regina, Sasketchewan. The big 6-4 defenseman has spent the past four seasons with the WHL's Prince George Cougars, including three years as team captain. He had 16 goals and 75 assists over those four seasons with 346 penalty minutes.
