Salary-cap deep dive: Columbus Blue Jackets

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at its cap situation for the 2023-24 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Columbus Blue Jackets 

Current Cap Hit: $80,952,057 (under the $83.5M Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Adam Fantilli (three years, $950K)
D David Jiricek (three years, $918K)
F Kent Johnson (one year, $925K)
F Kirill Marchenko (one year, $925K)
F Cole Sillinger (one year, $925K)
F Dmitri Voronkov (two years, $925K)

Potential Bonuses
Fantilli: $3.2M
Jiricek: $1M
Johnson: $1.85M
Marchenko: $850K
Sillinger: $850K
Total: $7.75M

Fantilli has come as advertised, quickly becoming one of the top players for the Blue Jackets.  After briefly starting him on the wing, they’ve moved him down the middle where he has more than held his own.  While it’s still quite early to project his next deal, if he can progress as expected, he’s a candidate to bypass the bridge contract.  Comparables are around the $8M mark now but that could be a little higher by 2026.  Marchenko didn’t put up many assists last season but after scoring 21 goals, the coaching staff probably didn’t mind.  He boasts a more typical scoring line early on this year and has established himself as a top-six piece.  However, he feels like more of a bridge candidate; another 20-goal campaign could put him in the $3M range.

Voronkov’s short-term future was in question not long ago but he has decided to stick it out in North America.  He has settled in nicely in the bottom six and can play center and the wing.  He’s someone who profiles as a longer-term secondary piece which means he’s likely looking at a bridge deal as well, one that comes in a bit below Marchenko’s.  Sillinger had a nice rookie year but a rough sophomore campaign that has him still as a secondary piece.  That will have him looking at a short-term second contract, possibly even a one-year deal in the $1.5M range.  Johnson, meanwhile, had a good first full season last year but has spent time in the minors this year, putting him squarely in bridge territory as well.  His might come closer to the $2M mark.

Jiricek has been eased into a full-time role with the Blue Jackets this season, averaging around 14 minutes a night.  A decision will need to be made within the next month or so to determine whether they will let him accrue a year of service time toward free agency (triggered at 40 games on the roster).  In a perfect world, he progresses to the point where they lock him up long-term but it’s still too early to call at this point.

As for the bonuses, Fantilli has a shot at all four ‘A’ bonuses ($1M total) while Marchenko could hit a couple of his ($212.5K each).  The other three are more long shots to hit any of theirs.  GM Jarmo Kekalainen will likely want to try to finish this season enough below the Upper Limit to absorb any of these on this year’s cap rather than rolling some of the costs over to 2024-25.

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

D Jake Bean ($2.33M, RFA)
F Emil Bemstrom ($900K, RFA)
D Nick Blankenburg ($825K, RFA)
F Yegor Chinakhov ($800K, RFA)
G Spencer Martin ($762.5K, UFA)
F Jack Roslovic ($4M, UFA)
F Alexandre Texier ($1.525M, RFA)

At times, Roslovic has been a productive cog but at others, he has struggled to the point of being dropped down in the lineup or even scratched.  That said, he has back-to-back years of at least 44 points and was on pace for that early on this year before an ankle injury took him out last month.  Impact centers are hard to come by so there will be teams showing interest even with his inconsistency; a multi-year contract around this price point should be doable for him.

Texier returned this season after spending 2022-23 in Switzerland; his contract was tolled as a result.  He has shown flashes of top-six upside but consistency continues to be an issue.  He’ll need a $1.75M qualifying offer with arbitration eligibility.  Columbus should give it to him but his next contract shouldn’t cost much more than $2M barring a big uptick in production in the second half.

Bemstrom has cleared waivers in each of the last two seasons but has worked his way back up to the NHL relatively quickly both times.  He’s a serviceable middle-six player but doesn’t have that one part of his game that makes him stand out.  A $945K qualifier isn’t too high but with arbitration rights, he will be in non-tender territory.  As for Chinakhov, he has voiced his frustration with his role and to his credit, he has been productive since then.  Still, he’s likely heading for another short-term deal.  This one should push past the $1M mark with arbitration rights.

Bean had a good first season with the Blue Jackets in 2021-22 and looked like a key part of their top four on the blue line but injuries limited him last year while he has been a fixture on the third pairing this season.  He’s still young enough to not give up on but a $2.8M qualifying offer with arbitration rights might be a bit too rich for what they’re willing to pay.  Blankenburg has been a nice college free agent addition to give Columbus more depth on the back end.  His waiver exemption has hurt him this season and will likely cap him on a short-term deal once again, one that could land around the $1M mark.

Martin was claimed off waivers in training camp and while he has played better than he did in Vancouver last season, that’s a pretty low bar to clear; his numbers are well below average this season.  At this point, he looks more like a third option than a backup.  Even so, the way that market moved over the summer, Martin could still be in line for a small raise in free agency on a one-way agreement.

Signed Through 2024-25

D Adam Boqvist ($2.6M, RFA)
F Justin Danforth ($975K in 2023-24, $1.1M in 2024-25, UFA)
F Sean Kuraly ($2.5M, UFA)
F Mathieu Olivier ($1.1M, UFA)
D Ivan Provorov ($4.725M, UFA)*
G Daniil Tarasov ($1.05M, RFA)

*-Los Angeles is retaining another $2.025M on Provorov’s contract

Kuraly had a career season in his first year with his hometown team but hasn’t been able to produce at that level since then.  Nonetheless, he’s still an effective checker who plays with an edge and can kill penalties.  This might be a small premium for someone who might be best served on the fourth line but they rely on him to play a big enough role to justify this cost although it’s hard to see him landing much more than that in 2025.

Olivier is a pugilist who can handle a regular shift.  There aren’t many of those still around so it’s possible he could still land a small raise on his next deal.  When healthy, Danforth has been a versatile piece who can play up and down the lineup and hold his own.  Getting that for close to a million a year is a nice piece of business.  If he can stay healthy, a jump to the $1.5M range could be doable.

Provorov was one of their big acquisitions to bolster the back end over the summer after coming over in a three-way trade and the results have been mixed so far.  Nonetheless, he still is logging heavy minutes in all situations and will only be 28 when he hits unrestricted free agency.  Provorov’s offense hasn’t come around like Philadelphia hoped it would when they gave him his current contract but he has settled in nicely as a secondary contributor on that front.  Put that package on the open market in a more favorable cap environment and Provorov should be able to land at least a bit more than his current $6.75M price tag (between what the Kings and Blue Jackets are paying him) while securing a max-term deal or close to it.

Boqvist was a key part of the return for Seth Jones but while he has shown some offensive promise in his time with Columbus, he has struggled to stay healthy (he’s currently out with a shoulder injury) and has spent time this season as a healthy scratch.  At this point, his $3.12M qualifying offer might be a bit too pricey unless he’s able to establish himself as an every-game regular by the end of next season.

Tarasov has shown some promise in limited NHL action although he has struggled at times as well.  Ideally, he’s part of the longer-term solution between the pipes for Columbus but at this point, he needs to prove he’s worthy of the full-time backup role.  If he can do that, he could push for closer to $2M as an RFA with arbitration rights.

Signed Through 2025-26

D Erik Gudbranson ($4M, UFA)
F Boone Jenner ($3.75M, UFA)
F Patrik Laine ($8.7M, UFA)
D Andrew Peeke ($2.75M, UFA)

While the price tag was high, the fact that Laine signed a multi-year deal to stay with Columbus looked good considering the player he was traded for basically forced his way out of Winnipeg.  When healthy the last two years, he has been near the point-per-game mark, helping to justify this price tag.  This year has been one to forget, however, between his struggles and multiple injuries.  He’ll need to get back to top form if he wants another contract anywhere near this price point.

As for Jenner, he has been underpaid for a lot of his tenure with Columbus.  He has become more of a scoring threat over the last few years while being a faceoff ace and logging big minutes in all situations.  He’ll be 33 when this deal ends but he should be able to land more than $5M per season on a multi-year agreement if he can keep up this level of performance.

Gudbranson’s contract was widely panned from the moment it was signed as it seemed like an overpayment for someone best served on a third pairing.  He has played a bigger role than that with the Blue Jackets, allowing them to get more bang for their buck so far.  However, it would still be surprising to see him beat this price tag on his next deal.  Peeke, meanwhile, looked to be on the rise after logging more than 21 minutes a night the last two seasons, leading to this contract.  But this season, he has struggled to stay in the lineup, making him a potential change of scenery candidate.  He’ll need to get back to being a regular to have a shot at getting more than this in 2026.

Signed Through 2026-27 Or Longer

F Johnny Gaudreau ($9.75M through 2028-29)
G Elvis Merzlikins ($5.4M through 2026-27)
D Damon Severson ($6.25M through 2030-31)
D Zach Werenski ($9.583M through 2027-28)

When the Blue Jackets landed Gaudreau, it was a shock to many as Columbus is not the type of team that typically makes a big strike on the open market so they weren’t viewed as a serious suitor heading into free agency.  Landing a proven top-line player was supposed to help kick-start their offense.  Instead, his production dropped sharply compared to the year before (from 115 points to 74) while this season, it has dipped even more; he has just six goals in 35 games.  These are supposed to be the years where he produces enough to justify the price tag with the decline in output expected more toward the back end.  If it’s happening now, this contract could become a boat anchor on their books before too long.

The sticker shock was high when Werenski signed this contract but with Jones moving on, the Blue Jackets didn’t have a choice but to give it to him.  When healthy, he’s a legitimate number one blue-liner who puts up points at an above-average clip.  If he was a free agent this summer, he could land a contract that comes in quite close to this one so while it’s not a bargain deal, it’s not a steep overpayment either.

Severson came over in a sign-and-trade deal with New Jersey this summer as their other notable acquisition to shore up the back end.  He has done relatively well so far although they were likely hoping he’d be capable of logging 23 minutes a night as he often did with the Devils.  He’s playing more like a third defender at the moment; this is a bit on the pricey side for someone in that role who doesn’t put up a ton of points.  Having said that, that could change before long if his ice time goes up.

Merzlikins has had an inconsistent four-plus-year tenure with Columbus.  When he has been on his game, he has been an above-average netminder.  When he has struggled, he has really had a hard time keeping pucks out of the net.  Last season was a key example of the latter.  He has been better statistically this season but some have speculated a change of scenery could be beneficial for him.  He’ll need to have more consistent success if he wants to beat this contract in a marketplace where teams are starting to look for cheaper options between the pipes.

Buyouts

F Alexander Wennberg ($891.7K through 2025-26)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Best Value: Jenner
Worst Value: Gaudreau

Looking Ahead

Even with what has been a very long injury list this season, the Blue Jackets have been able to bank ample cap space.  It’s hard to see them being a buyer given how far they’re out of a playoff spot already but if Kekalainen has the green light from ownership, they could become a third-party retainer or take on a pricey expiring contract to facilitate a trade and add a future asset or two.

The Blue Jackets have a lot of projected cap space over the next couple of years although that will be whittled down considerably as some of their entry-level deals expire.  However, there are several expirings each season as well which can help offset some of those increases.  Columbus made a splash when they added Gaudreau last summer.  They might be able to make another one in the near future.