Blue Jackets granted 'salary cap grace period' from the NHL for this season

According to a report from Columbus Blue Jackets insider Aaron Portzline, the NHL is making an exception for the team that will enable them to be salary cap compliant for the opening of the 2024-25 season.

The Blue Jackets are currently projected to be $1.4 million UNDER the NHL's salary cap floor, but this total does not include the $2 million signing bonus that was paid to Johnny Gaudreau on July 1st. That bonus, while paid in full, has been essentially wiped from the team's salary cap figures due to Gaudreau's tragic passing in late August. The NHL is now honoring that $2 million amount and is giving the team "reasonable time" to reach the the league's salary cap floor.

Full details from Portzline:

Honestly, I think this is a smart and frankly refreshing move from the NHL.

The league has been very strict on its salary cap rules and, to my knowledge, this is the first time that the NHL has ever budged on a salary cap rule. In this particular case though it makes perfect sense.