Thesis: Assuming Avs trade for Lindholm, what is the possibility of resigning him? Using a 7.5 million cap hit, which is in the range that is reported for an extension, what would the Avs lineup look like?
In order for a signing like this to occur, the Avs would need to shed salary. Johansen is the obvious choice, he is slow, does not fit with the team, and is getting paid far too much to be a 3rd/4th line center, and Lindholm would be filling the hole he was meant to.
Girard has also been a frequent candidate to be traded in Avs fandom, so I have included him as well. I really like Girard and think he is a great fit on this team, but we would need to move his salary to afford Lindholm.
The last piece of this is Landeskog, assuming he is in the lineup next year, and not on LTIR, there is much less financial flexibility.
Conclusion: If we sign him to this contract (which is on the lower end of his reported asking price), then our remaining team would essentially have to be league minimum guys and prospects. Even with those cheap contracts, we would still be right up against the cap, and would run into more issues down the road trying to retain other players. Of course, if Landeskog goes back on LTIR or Retires, it could be a real possibility. However, based on what Calgary is asking for in a trade, it might not be worth it for a rental.