What are they going to do about the expansion draft?

They'll get EJ to waive somehow, or they'll pay up to Seattle for them to take Donskoi or Graves.

I really like how the team is built so far. If the group isn’t getting it done up front, there’s no commitment to Saad or Burakovsky past two years from now. Promising prospects still making their way into the lineup and their ELCs will help when Mac/Makar are due for raises. There’s lots to like about this team for sure

I can't imagine Johnson is going to waive, especially with Colorado on the upswing.

Curious to see what it will take for Seattle to pass on taking one of Toews or Girard. I imagine it will have to be quite a bit.

It'll be interesting, but the man loves the organization. And the odds Seattle takes an aging dman making $6 mil a year are pretty low... Would you really rather take EJ over Graves if he's available?

Not necessarily, but if I'm Ron Francis, I absolutely let it be known ahead of the draft that I would love to have a leader like Erik Johnson on my team.

It's certainly possible. The other option is to just buy him out. They didn't trade two seconds for Toews just to lose him at the expansion draft.

Lol. Not a bad strategy.

If EJ won't waive, I could see Colorado offering Donskoi or Compher or some other sweetener to steer them away from Toews to Graves. Who knows how it will play out. Certainly they will try to keep Toews somehow though.

Ooooooh, I wouldn't do a buyout. They'll need every penny of their cap space.

Wait. So you think Johnson won't waive so they can protect Toews because he's afraid he'll get picked but if he does waive so that Graves is exposed, you think Seattle would take Johnson over Graves? That's...interesting.

O no doubt, but they also have a proverbial wave of ELCs coming. You can't risk losing Toews, Girard, or Makar. They're your 3 protected dmen

EJ is going to have to be brave and the Avs may have to offer something else of value to get Seattle to take Graves (or someone else) but he's a team player, a real mensch.

I didn't say that he would get taken. Just that Francis could be willing to float some misinformation to persuade Johnson into not waiving so that Colorado will have to expose a better player. If Johnson suspects that Seattle will take him over Graves, then he might not be so quick to waive his NMC.

If Joe tells EJ that he'll give Seattle a pick for them to take Graves if he waives his NMC, then he'll do just that. He's a man of his word and he does right by his guys.

I guess we'll see.

$5M is awfully rich for Toews.

I went on the higher side to see what it'd look like. Hoping it's more in the $4 - $4.5 range.

If Johnson doesnt waive, no problem, he doesnt have a full NMC, he needs to submit a 19 team list hed be willing to get traded to and they can move him if they need to. Yeah 6mil is a little rich, but hes worth at least 5mil any day of the week. Tons of leadership, workhorse, big, physical, tons of experience, not that old, has a big shot still, reliable - far far far from a cap dump as some might suggest.

COL adding Toews is to worsen the blow if SEA take a D man.
COL will protect Makar/Girard meaning they get to keep 2 of 3 out of Johnson/Graves/Toews - with Byram and Timmins close to full time NHL ready.

Yeah, I just find it hard to believe Sakic gave up two second round picks for someone they don't intend to protect in the draft.