Gary Bettman shocks fans with major exception granted to Columbus Blue Jackets

When the tragic news of Johnny Gaudreau's passing came in late August, the Columbus Blue Jackets' salary cap situation changed unexpectedly. Gaudreau's $9.75 million annual salary was wiped away from their books, bringing substantial cap space to the club. This also put the Blue Jackets under the NHL minimum salary cap floor.

The NHL mandates that all teams be below a certain salary cap ceiling and above a cap floor, balancing competitive parity with financial equity. The cap floor was set at $65 million for the 2024-25 season. Without Gaudreau's contract on the books, Columbus was coming in well under that threshold. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic mentioned that, under usual conditions, the Jackets would have to be at this cap floor by the October 7 roster deadline.

With the unusual and tragic circumstances surrounding Gaudreau's death, though, the NHL has given Columbus some leeway. The league has waived the usual deadline for the Blue Jackets to meet the cap floor, understanding the unforeseen difficulties they face. Still, the NHL did expect the team to reach the cap floor in a "reasonable time," giving Columbus the much-needed breathing room for adaptation and subsequent management of their roster.

The Jackets had already paid Gaudreau a $2 million signing bonus in July, cash that will count against their salary cap total. They're still projected to be about $1.4 million under the floor as the season opens, though. The team might try to shave that margin by finalizing a couple more roster moves. Maybe there's an opportunity to add some more veteran presence or squeeze in a waiver-wire pickup before the regular season starts.

While Johnny Gaudreau's death has created a difficult situation emotionally and logistically for the Blue Jackets, the NHL and NHLPA were understanding by allowing extra time for the team to get under the salary cap. That gives Columbus some flexibility to take the right moves following the demise of such a tragic event with the hope of remaining competitive in this upcoming season.