Could the Canadiens Help the Blue Jackets Reach the Cap Floor?

If the Columbus Blue Jackets need help to reach the cap floor, Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens might just be able to assist.

While the hockey world is still reeling from the tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, the Columbus Blue Jackets must soldier on and think about hockey as they find themselves in a tricky situation salary cap wise. 

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. 

When Montreal Canadiens' GM Kent Hughes spoke to the media following the Patrik Laine-Jordan Harris trade, he was asked if he believed he'd be able to get cap compliant before the start of the season without putting Price on LTIR, he answered he could. As things stand, the Habs are $2,022,084 over the cap.

Back then, Columbus was cap compliant as they were more than $7 M over the cap floor, but now, they must find a solution and they are down a forward. Enter Hughes. The current GM inherited a few contracts that he would never have signed himself but with which he's stuck currently. 

Four names come to mind; Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak. It would be shocking to see either Gallagher or Anderson included in the deal, not only do they both have a hefty cap hit, but they're also locked in for three more season and therefore wouldn't just be a stop gap solution for the Jackets. Furthermore, Hughes does not sell low and both of these guys' value is pretty much as low as it's ever been. 

Armia and Dvorak on the other end are both on expiring contracts and would solve the Jackets' cap conundrum. After being put on waivers and sent to Laval in the AHL at the start of last season, Armia bounced back. In eight games in Laval, he picked up nine points. He was recalled when the Canadiens started battling injuries, and gathered 25 points in 66 games. With a $3.4 M cap hit, he's a cheaper option than Dvorak.

Meanwhile Dvorak was limited to 30 games last season thanks to a few injuries. As a result, he was only able to gather nine points. The pivot has got a $4.45 M cap hit, and has never really lived up to expectations in Montreal. Question is however, if he is traded, does he take up the third center spot most have got him penciled in? Does Newhook, instead of playing wing on the top-six? Wouldn't that just weaken the top-six Hughes just improved? Does Jake Evans and the fourth line fall to Owen Beck if he has an incredibly good camp? Hard to say...

While it's hard not to feel for the Blue Jackets who find themselves in such a predicament because of a tragedy, Hughes won't be helping just to help and he'll need some sort of return to part with either asset. If he doesn't get what he's after, he'll have no problem waiting until the trade deadline to move those assets. 

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