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In light of the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau, the team may find itself in a unique situation regarding the NHL salary cap.
With Gaudreau's death, the Blue Jackets are now approximately $2.7 million below the NHL's salary cap floor of $65 million. Typically, teams must meet this minimum to remain cap-compliant, but the unprecedented circumstances could open the door for the league to grant the team an exemption.
The NHL now faces a critical decision: Should the Blue Jackets be penalized for something completely out of their control?
According to Karine Hains from The Hockey News:
The salary cap floor in the league this season stands at $65 M, and with Gaudreau's salary coming off the books, the Ohio outfit finds itself at $62,301,666 M, which is to say $2,698,334 M away from being cap compliant.
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Looking to other sports for precedent, the NBA has provisions like the Disabled Player Exception, which allows teams to replace players who are sidelined for the season due to injury or death.
Given the gravity and unique nature of this situation, the NHL might consider granting the Blue Jackets a similar exemption, at least for the upcoming 2024-2025 season, to alleviate the team's financial burden during this difficult time.
