If johnson doesnt waive he'll be bought out.. no way toews is t protected.. they'll save 4 mill aav if they buyout Johnson if he doesnt waive

You dont protect saad unless hes extended, and I protect nishkuchin and jost in his place

I think that Landeskog waits until after the expansion draft to sign his new deal, which permits Colorado to protect MacKinnon, Rantanen, Burakovsky and Kadri up front and Johnson, Makar, Girard and Toews on the back. I can't see Joe Sakic paying two seconds for Devon Toews just to expose him after only one season.

They are already working on a landeskog extension

EJ is going to waive or they will buy him out

They dont make the Toews trade and extension if they dont already have a plan of 7-3-1 which includes protecting Toews

Good. They can hold onto it until after the expansion draft.

Johnson will waive Seattle isn’t going to take him especially when Graves is sitting there.

they arent going to play that sign a UFA after the draft game...when a guy hits market they dont come back. They arent goign to risk that sort thing bc they are trying to be cute on trying to save a Donskoi or Compher from being selected

let them take one of those guys, both who cares, and dont mess with Landy

If we see them extend Landeskog or Saad before the expansion draft, then I will agree with you.

if they dont extend them its a sign they are testing the marketing.
Its not that complicated, Let them take Burakovsky if thats the case if they go 4-4. You dont risk one of the most important cogs to the Stanley cup team bc of trying to be smarter than the draft rules

The issue isn't protecting Compher or Donskoi, it's protecting Johnson and Toews. And UFAs don't "hit the market" until several days after the expansion draft.

I doubt they let his agent look at the open UFA market, probably just looking at the whole escrow thing going on in the negotiations right now to plan on how to get the most take home money..

Its win win for the expansion draft, the either get johnson to waive and he does and they pick graves or compher... or they buy him out and use that extra 4 mill to substitute him or elsewhere

Nobody's trying to be smarter than the draft rules. I'm sure Sakic is concentrating on not being stupider than the draft rules.

Thats why I said they go 4 and 4 and let them take Burakovsky.

that is the definition of what you are trying to pitch, being smarter than the rules and letting an pending UFA dangle in limbo inching closer to the open market.
Its a silly idea and 95% of avs fans all agree, they arent interested in that....from Fans to professional coverage who have touched on the idea...its a silly idea to think you can just sign Landy after the draft and its no biggie....you dont risk it

Oh, I see, you're protecting MacKinnon, Rantanen, Landeskog and Kadri. Certainly a reasonable position!

If the Avs had to expose Bura fine so be it. If hes picked over Graves then you try to move his money into another guy to plug that hole, you look for a guy you give the Tofolli deal of 4x4 too in free agency

Or they use that money to extend Kadri as well.

Why is doing exactly what the rules allow "trying to be smarter than the rules"?

By the way, I don't understand your implied threat that if Johnson doesn't waive his NMC for the expansion draft, then Colorado will "buy him out." Doesn't the buy-out period start with the beginning of the free agent period, i.e., several days after the expansion draft?

no there is a buyout period prior to the expansion draft. Teams have a week to buyout or get guys to waive their NMC, do additional trades/moves etc before they send their official selection list to Seattle based on what the Vegas rules were

Its bc you are taking an unnecessary risk for no reason bc you are trying to save a guy whoever it would be in terms of a Forawrd or Dman who wont even compare to Landy importance to the Team...when you consider avs have internal top end prospects to replace middle 6ers, a guy like Burakovsky, or Graves etc etc....its a reckless idea to think you are smarter than the draft process by letting a cup contendings team hang in limbo as teams make moves to open up cap space, adjust their rosters before the draft.

You dont think a team would see Landy a week till he becomes a UFA and adjust their roster to make room for him, players of other teams will start chatting him up bc that is what happens players talk and guys start to think about other markets. His agent can start talking to him of realistically he could get him x amount of dollars more to play here or play there instead of Colorado bc their is a clearer picture of teams cap space.

DONT RISK IT for no reason

I think Landy signs and will be protected (Saad will not sign before then though). After that the question is will Johnson waive. If yes, then they go 7-3-1 with Graves, Compher, and Donskoi being the most attractive available players. If not then they do 8 skaters with RML + Kadri and of Makar, Girard, Toews, and EJ. That means Burakovsky is exposed, which I don't like, but it is what it is.

I do not think EJ is bought out under any circumstance. Sakic won't do him like that, and the $2M in the later years hurts too.