Blue Jackets: What does Johnny Gaudreau do for ‘reset’ plan? Can Laine still re-sign?

May 26, 2022; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) skates during the warmup period against the Edmonton Oilers in game five of the second round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

The rumors began to swirl in the afternoon.

While the New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders took turns being named “front-runners” to land dynamic Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau on Wednesday, the Blue Jackets embarked on a mission nobody outside Nationwide Arena believed was possible.

Then the bombshell landed.

Reports that Gaudreau would sign with the Jackets began leaking out around dinner time in Columbus and the team’s “roster reset” plan suddenly got a massive jolt. The deal is for seven years and pays Gaudreau an average of $9.75 million annually, a number that will count against the Jackets’ NHL salary cap total.

It’s a big number and stands counter to what Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen preached about just one day earlier, telling reporters that star free agents are the quickest way to enter the kind of salary-cap ‘squeeze’ a number of his peers are now facing.

“You’ve got to be careful when you talk about open cap space, because we not only need to look at this year, but we have to look into the future and what contracts are coming up and all that, so it’s not as simple as it may look,” Kekalainen said Tuesday. “You don’t get free agents from the UFA market for one year. So, when you add somebody like that from the UFA market and you add the dollars and add the term, then all of a sudden you get squeezed with cap. And you see what that does around the league.”

A day later, the same guy who issued those sentiments forked over $13.75 million in annual cap space to sign former Calgary Flames teammates Erik Gudbranson — a 30-year old defenseman who agreed to a four-year deal worth $16 million — and Gaudreau, who will make $68.25 million with this deal.

So much for cap conservatism.

Kekalainen also said that signing Gaudreau and Gudbranson doesn’t negatively affect his ability to re-sign star forward Patrik Laine, a restricted free agent who will command a pricey cap charge on any long-term extension.

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Blue Jackets General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen speaks to the media during Media Day at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on September 21, 2021.

Is the Blue Jackets plan to ‘reset’ their roster over?

Kekalainen and John Davidson, the team’s president of hockey operations, will likely say it has ascended to a new phase when they meet with reporters Thursday.

Outside analysts may not agree, if they indeed re-sign Laine without losing too much talent in trades that must now happen for the Jackets to keep both wingers and stay under the NHL’s $82.5 million salary cap. Any team with Gaudreau and Laine up front — two high-powered scorers — and Zach Werenski as its top defenseman should be considered at least an outside contender for the playoffs.

Throw in captain Boone Jenner, Jakub Voracek, Gustav Nyquist, Cole Sillinger and a wave of young forwards vying for NHL minutes, and the Blue Jackets may soon become a formidable offensive team. That’s not to mention center Jack Roslovic, forward Alexandre Texier, young defenseman Adam Boqvist plus a host of others.

Could Kekalainen’s “reset” plan quickly transform a playoff hunt as soon as next season?

Considering how the Jackets overachieved in the eyes of most prognosticators last season, it can’t be ruled out, especially if Laine returns. That would speed up Kekalainen’s quest to win the Stanley Cup, too, which was his main reason for undergoing a retooling plan that included trades of Seth Jones, Nick Foligno, David Savard and Cam Atkinson.

“Johnny Gaudreau is a superstar in the National Hockey League, and we couldn’t be happier to welcome him to the Columbus Blue Jackets family,” Kekalainen said in a release. “He is an elite player with great character that makes the players around him better. We are thrilled to add a player of his caliber to our group. This is an exciting day for our franchise, our fans and the city of Columbus.”

May 26, 2022; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) controls the puck against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period in game five of the second round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

What are the Blue Jackets getting in Johnny Gaudreau?

If there’s a drawback, it’s the fact Gaudreau turns 29 in August and the Jackets just signed him to a seven-year contract worth a ton of money.

The NHL continues to skew younger and faster, which has sent numerous forwards the past 10-plus years off a proverbial cliff in their careers when they reach age 30. Gaudreau is also just 5 feet 9, 165 pounds and his stature was a source of postseason discontent in Calgary until this year, when Gaudreau posted 3-11-14 in 13 playoff games.

The list of positives with Gaudreau starts with six invites to play in the NHL All-Star game, being voted a first team NHL All-Star after last season and a “point-per-game” career scoring line of 209-399-608 in 601 games. Gaudreau also put up jaw-dropping numbers in the final year of his contract with Calgary, including a career-high +64 plus/minus number boosted by one of the league’s top forward lines.

Gaudreau’s biggest skill is playmaking, but he’s willing to shoot the puck. He’s a true dual-threat weapon in the offensive zone that makes coaches rave and opposing goalies sweat, which the Blue Jackets haven’t done since in Columbus (2017-2019).

Gaudreau is also a force on the power play, compiling 46 goals, 125 assists and 171 points in man-advantage situations since breaking into the NHL in 2014-15 as a rookie.

Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) carries the puck past Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat (18) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Jan. 11, 2018, in Tampa, Fla. Executives around the NHL expect plenty of movement before free agency opens Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Several top players including Gaudreau and Palat could still sign contracts prior to hitting the open market. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, file)

Where will Johnny Gaudreau slot into the Blue Jackets’ lineup?

It’s hard to imagine Gaudreau playing anywhere but left wing on the top line, where he skated with the Flames.

That’s also the spot Laine prefers with a right-handed shot that’s always loaded for one-timers. Laine, however, spent time on his strong side at right wing during even-strength situations last season and didn’t shift over to the left wing until an opposing player went to the penalty box.

Gaudreau has a left-handed shot and played on the left wing during power plays, so coach Brad Larsen and associate coach Pascal Vincent — who coordinates the Jackets’ power play — would have to work that out.

Voracek played the right side on the Jackets’ top unit last season, so it will be interesting to see where Gaudreau slots into the man-advantage setup — assuming all three forwards are still Blue Jackets.

Larsen may also need to pair Gaudreau at even-strength with Jenner at the center spot, making sure to put him on a line with the team’s most responsible two-way pivot. Sillinger could be an option, too, after he made big gains on the defensive side of the puck as a rookie.

Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Patrik Laine (29) skates around Calgary Flames center Trevor Lewis (22) during the second period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022.

Can the Blue Jackets re-sign Patrik Laine and stay under the salary cap?

In short, it’s going to take a trade. Maybe two.

According to Cap Friendly, the Blue Jackets began Wednesday with almost $17 million in cap space on a 24-man roster that would need to be pared by one to open the season.

That’s a lot of wiggle room.

Subtracting the combined $13.75 million for Gaudreau and Gudbranson, they’re down to just $3.17 million under the league’s $82.5 million ceiling for 2022-23. That’s less than half the cost of the $7.5 million qualifying offer extended to Laine on Monday and might be about one-third of what the Finnish goal-scorer might get on a multi-year contract extension.

Trading forward Gustav Nyquist, 32, would clear $5.5 million in cap space, dealing forward Oliver Bjorkstrand – who has led the Blue Jackets in scoring the past two years — would carve out another $5.4 million and those two combined with the amount currently available would give Kekalainen about $13 million per year to fit in Laine’s next deal.

The Blue Jackets could also create additional breathing room by assigning Brendan Gaunce ($762,500), Carson Meyer ($750,000) and/or Gavin Bayreuther ($750,000) to the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League.

In short, it will take some roster pruning in other areas, but the Blue Jackets can figure out a way to fit Gaudreau and Laine into their long-term plans.

Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau celebrates scoring a goal in action against the Minnesota Wild during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 28, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. The Wild won 3-2 in overtime. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

How much better are the Blue Jackets with Johnny Gaudreau?

In the short term, if he can stay healthy, they should be considerably better. Racking up 115 points in 82 games is no small feat and Gaudreau also put up 99 points in 82 games during the 2018-19 campaign.

The guy can create a lot of offense from the wing but has also dealt with some inconsistency in eight-plus NHL seasons. Gaudreau finished the pandemic-shorted 2019-20 season with a solid 18-40-58 in 70 games and had 19-30-49 in 2021 during a 56-game slate that was also affected by the pandemic.

His 115-point output last season was, by far, a career-high number and Gaudreau will be hard-pressed to approach that lofty total with the Blue Jackets – who don’t have a center to anchor his line quite like his main pivot in Calgary, Elias Lindholm. The Jackets also don’t have a power forward like Matthew Tkachuk to play opposite Gaudreau and create space for him to operate.

Columbus, however, does have an assortment of young skilled forwards who could stand to learn a thing or two from one of the NHL’s most dangerous scorers. Imagine the tricks Kent Johnson, the fifth overall pick by the Jackets in 2021, can learn from Gaudreau — a similarly built scoring winger.

How many additional scoring chances will Laine get with Gaudreau throwing cross-ice dimes his way? How much better will Cole Sillinger become, after scoring 16 goals as the NHL’s youngest player last season?

Prior to signing Gaudreau, Kekalainen said that scoring goals wasn’t the Blue Jackets’ biggest problem in 2021-22. Preventing goals and playing better defense were much bigger problem areas, but having Gaudreau now may help Columbus outscore its deficiencies.

Time will provide that answer.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets and their fans are basking under a surprising NHL spotlight shining on Columbus.

bhedger@dispatch.com

@BrianHedger

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets analysis: Gaudreau signing, Laine extension