Speculation: Sorry to be the one to ask, but what do the Blue Jackets do?

[ddawg1950]

They weaponize the cap space, of course.

 

[gstommylee]

Seattle is at 21 players with only 4k of cap space and needs to move a player to fill out the rest of the roster. Brandon tanev for future considerations would be a good bottom 6 options for CBJ.

 

[VanJack]

The Jackets will dedicate their season to 'Johnny Hockey'.......but you seriously wonder how a franchise can recover mentally and spiritually from that kind of blow. Not only was he their highest paid player, but he was being relied on heavily to provide offense for a team that has a dearth of scoring already.

Columbus has a few nice pieces via recent drafts; but too many holes elsewhere in the lineup to make any noise in the Eastern Conference. But if anyone can turn the ship around, it's incoming GM Don Waddell.

And based on the tragic start to the season; the Jackets are one of the few teams in the East that I'll be really pulling for.

 

[Drake1588]

Surely there's no way the league actually punishes Columbus for being below the cap floor given the circumstances, right?

I think what is more likely is that there's no way that the CBJ will try to remain below the floor. It's not going to come to that. They were already seeking to add more players and that need has only grown now. There are teams that would move a larger contract or two and the return would not need to be significant. They won't need to accept deals with long term. I would expect to hear of move(s) soon.

 

[Viqsi]

I think it's unlikely that they go from below the cap floor to anywhere close to 8M from the cap ceiling in one season, so other than having to pay out whatever portion of his 1M salary that is not covered by insurance, I can't see it mattering

Unless they already have deals lined up that see them take enough cap in useful players to have a buffer over the floor, I think the second year of the context is justified by the value of using it this season to get a buffer over the cap floor that costs almost nothing in real dollars.

Voronkov, Harris, and Tarasov are all up for new deals next year, and we'll be either extending or replacing our entire fourth line (Kuraly, Danforth, Olivier - none of which are on big contracts). The cap floor next year is unlikely to be a problem.

 

[Viqsi]

Niklas Backstrom?

Doesn't have the "actual dollars are really low" advantage Weber would have.

 

[FlameChampion]

I mean either they really rally around it or it’s too much to deal with.

I don’t think theres a ton of expectations on Columbus which is probably a good thing.

Just a terrible tragedy.

 

[Eyeseeing]

The Jackets will dedicate their season to 'Johnny Hockey'.......but you seriously wonder how a franchise can recover mentally and spiritually from that kind of blow. Not only was he their highest paid player, but he was being relied on heavily to provide offense for a team that has a dearth of scoring already.

Columbus has a few nice pieces via recent drafts; but too many holes elsewhere in the lineup to make any noise in the Eastern Conference. But if anyone can turn the ship around, it's incoming GM Don Waddell.

And based on the tragic start to the season; the Jackets are one of the few teams in the East that I'll be really pulling for.

Yeah I agree with this.
Normally celebrities/sports deaths don’t shock me much, but this one did.
I didn’t follow his career super closely but he sure was popular.
I’ll be fan this season.
I know his family is going to go through a lot of tough times ahead and they seem so close knit.
I’m also feeling very sad for Sean Monahan , what a terrible loss for him to experience thinking they were going to be together for the next few seasons on the ice and how close they were off.
Just another reason to cheer them on,

 

[StreetHawk]

Doesn't have the "actual dollars are really low" advantage Weber would have.

But, it still mostly covered by insurance. In terms of real dollars, I think based on what I heard Bolland Hossa cost AZ back in the day for LTIR, the team is on the hook for about 20% of the cash due to the player. But, Wash has known both Backstrom and Oshie were going to be on LTIR, so they've made their moves to account for their LTIR cap hits.

Owner and GM will sit down and decide whether they wish to spend real money or not.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

I think the plan will be to be a rebuilding team

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

Probably just pick up a short term LTIR contract like Lehner

 

[Indy18]

Seattle is at 21 players with only 4k of cap space and needs to move a player to fill out the rest of the roster. Brandon tanev for future considerations would be a good bottom 6 options for CBJ.

Tanev has been on my short list ever since FA ended. He checks so many boxes for the Blue Jackets needs right now. Veteran voice and a LW4. There is only one stipulation...he has to accept a new number

 

[gstommylee]

Tanev has been on my short list ever since FA ended. He checks so many boxes for the Blue Jackets needs right now. Veteran voice and a LW4. There is only one stipulation...he has to accept a new number

he'll have no issues switching given the situation.

 

[Scintillating10]

Hesitant to make this thread because I don't know where the line is here in terms of insensitivity.

It's an unspeakable tragedy what happen to Johnny and Matthew and this is going to be an insanely difficult year for CLB management, fans, and most of all, players. I'm sure on ice considerations are the furtherest thing from their minds at this exact moment.

With all of that said, the show must always go on and life must go on. Columbus are an NHL hockey team who have to play 82 games this year and they are a team overdue to compete. They've built up a very promising core and now have been dealt an awful blow not just in the locker room but on the ice too.

I'm sure there will be people to jump down my throat with "this isn't the time" or "who cares right now" but Don Waddell has to walk a tightrope of knowing when it's not appropriate to "replace" him in the lineup vs when he needs to focus on his job as a General Manager of a hockey club.

What do you think they do? What precedent is there for this in professional sports? They've lost their best forward and their biggest contract. Do they throw in the towel on this season and not even worry about on-ice results? Do they make a move before the season? Do they wait x amount of time until they feel it's appropriate to deal for a forward (deadline), next off season etc? There were rumblings about Kaprizov a while back, do they take a major run at him? Zegras?

Again, I'm not trying to take the focus off the tragedy and the lives lost, but there is a hockey element to this too. Hoping this can be a mature thread. Surely I'm not the only one to whom this thought has occurred and it does nothing to distract from the somber nature of the situation.

They've had rough off season. Gaudreau, Had to give Laine away. Lindstrom has back injury.

 

[CBJx614]

They've had rough off season. Gaudreau, Had to give Laine away. Lindstrom has back injury.

Why is Lindstrom on that list? They went into the draft fully knowing about Lindstrom. They wouldn't have drafted him if their doctors didn't get the approval.

 

[Unbiased Fan]

Kotekneimi or Norris maybe?

 

[Cowumbus]

TLDR - it is okay to be over the cap with a buried LTIR contract and load up for a playoff run BUT not okay to get a 1 time exemption for being 2 million below the salary floor due to a tragic loss of life (of one of if not your best players).

 

[Peter Griffin]

Tucker Poolman would bring them to the floor this season, expires after the year and his contract is at least partly insured. Question would be how much Vancouver would have to sweeten for them to take him?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Johnson Monahan Marchenko
Jenner Fantilli Chinakov
Voronkov Sillinger Danforth
_______ Kuraly Olivier

Werenski Severson
Provorov Jiricek
Harris Gudbranson
Johnson

Tarasov
Merzlikins

Maybe just go after a bottom 6 player and see what happens. Might be another tank year.

Move Danforth down and Brindley takes his spot. It was a tank year, regardless. Obviously a big tragedy what happened, but with Gaudreau or not it isn’t a competitive team.

 

[rsteen]

Puckpedia has removed Johnny's contract completely from the Blue Jackets roster, but assuming that his signing bonus was paid out on July 1st as is typical, would that not be 2M on the season's cap, leaving them only 0.7M below the floor?

Anyway I don't see the need for the NHL to make an exemption. Half the teams in the league have a "good in the room" veteran who's no longer living up to his cap hit. Given the circumstances I don't think the other GMs will be out to do a fleecing.

 

[ManofSteel55]

"I wonder if Columbus wants (insert bad contract here)?"

- the trade thread in every team sub

Puckpedia has removed Johnny's contract completely from the Blue Jackets roster, but assuming that his signing bonus was paid out on July 1st as is typical, would that not be 2M on the season's cap, leaving them only 0.7M below the floor?

Anyway I don't see the need for the NHL to make an exemption. Half the teams in the league have a "good in the room" veteran who's no longer living up to his cap hit. Given the circumstances I don't think the other GMs will be out to do a fleecing.

There must be a clause in the CBA for deceased player contracts. If they can put an injured player on LTIR, there has to be a solution for a tragedy like this.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Tucker Poolman and a mid round pick for futures

 

[hockeyguy0022]

Darnell Nurse

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Puckpedia has removed Johnny's contract completely from the Blue Jackets roster, but assuming that his signing bonus was paid out on July 1st as is typical, would that not be 2M on the season's cap, leaving them only 0.7M below the floor?

Anyway I don't see the need for the NHL to make an exemption. Half the teams in the league have a "good in the room" veteran who's no longer living up to his cap hit. Given the circumstances I don't think the other GMs will be out to do a fleecing.

As a small token from Montreal please accept Brendan Gallagher in the Jackets time of grief…

Seriously though I expect Monahan will step up, obviously not the start he expected in Columbus but he was great in Montreal, especially with the younger players and I think he will want to help be a leader through this difficult time rather than drag his lips that he’s likely back to a rebuilding situation.

 

[majormajor]

It's now certainly a rebuilding year. Maybe they get Hagens. They should pick up an overpaid solid vet with an expiring deal, e.g. Iafallo. Someone who is a good leader.

KJohnson Monahan Fantilli
Chinakhov Voronkov Marchenko
Sillinger Jenner Brindley
Iafallo Kuraly Danforth
Olivier

Werenski Mateychuk
Harris Severson
Provorov Gudbranson
Christiansen

Johnson Monahan Marchenko
Jenner Fantilli Chinakov
Voronkov Sillinger Danforth
_______ Kuraly Olivier

Werenski Severson
Provorov Jiricek
Harris Gudbranson
Johnson

Tarasov
Merzlikins

Maybe just go after a bottom 6 player and see what happens. Might be another tank year.

FWIW Sillinger and Fantilli aren't good at center yet (or in Sillinger's case, not good anywhere). Jenner and Voronkov are solid centers, I don't know why they are penciled at wing by the media and fans. Sillinger and Fantilli can slide over when they're ready.

I've always been a JG fan, but haven't watched him much after he got to Columbus. I'm not trying to be a jerk - but he has 12g & 48 points last year so that's not exactly "irreplaceable".

It's not last year's Gaudreau that is irreplaceable, but the best was still to come for Gaudreau in Columbus. I wrote a long piece breaking it down, his primary assists were still in the top group of wingers in the NHL, it's the secondarys and goals that cratered. He just struggled to finish his many chances, and the very low secondarys are directly attributable to his linemates. Having him with, say, Monahan and Fantilli this year could have changed that.

At the risk of sounding insensitive, you could argue based on his play so far losing his cap hit alone is getting something, I don't think there's an argument to be made that the signing had gone well so far although he genuinely was one of my top candidates for a bounce back season

In Columbus you can't just pay someone else in UFA and expect a better deal. Heck, the most plausible argument to lure elite talent was players who wanted to play with Johnny Gaudreau. Now the club has $20m to spare and good luck finding an elite player willing to sign a more team friendly deal than Gaudreau's.

Freddy Gaudreau for future considerations.

Gaudreau gets a restart under a coach that has favored him. Columbus gets a semi cheap bottom 6 forward that can act as a Swiss army knife that plays wing and center.

If Evason lobbies for him, maybe. But it's a four year deal for a guy to solve a potentially short term issue.