One of the biggest names that decided not to file for salary arbitration a few days ago was Columbus Blue Jackets restricted free agent Patrik Laine. While this was taken as a strong indicator that the two sides had at least some positivity in contract negotiations, Laine remains unsigned with just a day left to officially accept his qualifying offer. That offer will expire at 4pm CT tomorrow, though there is nothing stopping the two sides from agreeing on something similar further into the offseason.
Laine’s offer of $7.5MM would put the Blue Jackets in a bit of a conundrum if he decided to accept it. The 24-year-old forward is just a year away from unrestricted free agency and if he took the one-year qualifying offer, the two sides would not be able to officially file an extension until January 1, 2023. The team would also immediately go quite a bit over the cap, which is why it should come as no surprise that Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that the team is “actively trying to unload salary” with the hope of signing Laine to a long-term extension before the weekend.
This cap squeeze that the Blue Jackets find themselves in was created by landing the top free agent on the market in Johnny Gaudreau, who ate up $9.75MM on his free agent payday. The team also added Erik Gudbranson at a $4MM cap hit and reached a multi-year deal with Adam Boqvist that raised his hit to $2.6MM. Now, Portzline tweets that a “perfect world” scenario for general manager Jarmo Kekalainen would be to clear $5-6MM in order to fit in the Laine extension.
There do seem to be some reasonably easy ways to clear that money from their current roster–Gustav Nyquist does not have trade protection and carries a cap hit of $5.5MM, for instance–but as Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest tweeted today, NHL front offices are finding it extremely difficult to move expensive contracts this summer.
Teams like the Buffalo Sabres, Arizona Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks, and even perhaps the Calgary Flames, should Matthew Tkachuk be on the move, have enough cap space to accommodate these salary swaps if they choose. Waiting to do so will likely only increase the prices though, providing them with more assets for allowing a team to park their contracts.
The next 24 hours are important for the Blue Jackets, as the next step for Laine will guide the rest of their summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
There is only one year left on Nyquist’s deal. Someone will take that and a 3rd for future considerations. If you retain half you might even be able to flip him at the deadline for another 3rd.
It’s going to have to at least take a second I feel like
I think Voracek or Nyquist are gone. If Voracek is it they retain half salary.
Jakub V. To Buffalo for a 2023 non protected 1st, 2024 2nd & 2025 2nd.
Columbus gets back A. Bjork & a 2023 5th.
I understand the fanbase may not be on board with it, but I’d like to see Laine in Philly. Sure it would end up with another big deal added to the pile, but Laine is young so hopefully he can still be here when the team is good again.
Love Torts and Laine both, but that mix already didn’t work well.
don’t think he could handle that fan base
Jake costs $3M more than Gus. Nobody’s taking that on by itself. I hate to lose either, but it’s gonna be Gus. Maybe Gus and Bean if they need to clear more than $5.5M and Bean is clear of the 2018 WJC mess.
And Voracek has 2 years left to Nyquist’s one. That Voracek contract is going to be hard to move.
How did Gudbranson get 4mil?
@TJECK109 – Maybe Jarmo was hypnotized by Gudbranson and his agent, Morris. Either that, or distracted by the hot blonde in the third row. :(
Yeah, that one is gonna hurt right away. Gudbranson is ‘big and strong” but is coming off a career year points wise, and has always struggled playing against tough comp.
There is a reason this is his 8th team
He should have been signed at Kulak’s $2.7 or so at most
Them and everyone else.
This is why you have a capologist. But it wouldn’t matter. Why? You are unloading AFTER the draft AND free agency. You can’t pair a contract with a pick 11months from now,well maybe with Chicago.
Johnny Hockey the next 7 years average 25/50/75.
You don’t need a capologist. Hell, none of us are professional hockey executives. We’re a bunch of blatherers whose only credentials are (a) we like hockey, and (b) we found this site. And yet we’ve got the common sense to conclude that Gudbranson’s nowhere near worth $4MM AAV, and that signing him to that salary AND signing Gaudreau puts their joints in a meat grinder when it comes to signing Laine.
Speak for yourself, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night!
Speak for yourself.
(grins) Fancy that, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express two weeks ago! (Perfectly fine place!)
Some might even say cromulent!
@Nha Trang. Yeah. I usually try to give the benefit of the doubt to the guys who were chosen to do this full time and have a staff of people helping them do it. But sometimes you see things that just plain do not make any sense. The thing is, this is not the only time Gudbranson has been overvalued. More than one GM has decided they need that size on the back end.
Jakub V had 6 goals & 56 assists last season.
Jakub Voracek’s salary is $6,250,000 and his cap hit is $8,250,000 for the 2022-23 season. His salary is comprised of $5,000,000 in signing bonuses and $1,250,000 in base salary.