Blue Jackets won’t need to be compliant with salary floor by start of NHL season

The Columbus Blue Jackets are receiving some relief with their unique situation.

According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, the NHL and the NHLPA have notified the team that it won’t need to comply with the agreed-upon $65 million salary floor when the NHL rosters are finalized on Oct. 7.

Portlzine also mentioned that the allowance came at the request of the Blue Jackets to the league to present the solution to the players’ union. This motion comes in the aftermath of Johnny Gaudreau’s death.

Part of Gaudreau’s contract saw him receive a $2 million signing bonus. That total is still included in the Blue Jackets’ cap hit.

As it stands, Columbus sits less than $1 million under the salary floor. The expectation is that the Blue Jackets reach the number in due time. Per Portzline, general manager Don Waddell is searching to add a veteran forward, which would easily push them above the floor.

The Blue Jackets have plenty of roster space to add players. According to CapWages, the team has 41 of a possible 50 NHL contracts signed for the 2024-25 season. The highest-paid players on the team are defensemen Zach Werenski and Damon Severson. Werenski leads the Blue Jackets with an AAV of $9,583,333 through the 2027-28 season, while Severson’s $6.25 million AAV will carry until the end of the 2030-31 campaign.

Gaudreau’s former teammate with the Calgary Flames, Sean Monahan, signed a five-year contract with Columbus at a cap hit of $5.5 million, currently the most expensive forward on the roster. The next highest-paid player behind him is goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who is entering the third season of his five-year contract with an AAV of $5.4 million that he signed in Sept. 2021.

Of the 41 standard player contracts signed by Columbus, only 16 have cap hits over $1 million.

The Blue Jackets will begin the new regular season on Thursday, Oct. 10, against the Minnesota Wild.