Quoting: Anus_McLeod
Mixed feelings. I like Backlund now, but this keeps him here until age 35, which I don't like. It also likely means losing Saad, which may or may not be okay.
The expansion draft gets a little weird too. Not necessarily problematic, but it would definitely throw some wrinkles in. Maybe Backlund is exposed and taken, in which case the two way retention is bad.
Idk, lots to think about here.
Mackinnon, Rantanen, Landeskog, Kadri, Burakovsky, Backlund, Bennett
Makar, Girard, Toews
Exposed: Donskoi, Jost, Nichuskin, Graves, Johnson, Francouz
With Compher gone there wouldn't be as much pressure on needing Seattle to take a $3m contract. There's also some redundancy with Jost and Nichuskin so either one who gets taken wouldn't be back-breaking. Alternatively you could expose Bennett and just treat him as a rental this year; he's an RFA though which reduces the chances of getting taken too given that Seattle can only take up to 10 RFA's in the expansion draft.
Backlund would absolutely not be exposed. I'd rather have a high end 3C than Saad personally. Decent and cheap middle 6 wingers are much easier to find than a good 3C as well.