Quoting: Saskleaf
I agree Nashville won't want expansion draft eligble players. Rasmus Sandin for Ekholm isn't bad, but if Nashville wants more than Rasmus, it should be a no. Liljgren plus could also work.
While the idea of Ekholm to Colorado is good in theory, it doesn't make much sense because he or Devon Toews, or a valuable forward (Landy, Bura, Kadri) would go to the Kraken, and that's provided Johnson waives (if not the avs have a major mess on their hands).
Avs don't have a major mess on their hands even if EJ doesn't waive.
They can go 4+4 and expose Burakovsky, who only has 1 year to UFA anyways. It would be a loss, but that $4.9m could be used to resign Saad instead of letting him walk in UFA. Newhook and Ranta can get opportunities in camp to take Bura's spot too.
Alternatively you just simply buy EJ out. It would be annoying to have $2m in dead space for 4 years, but that $4m can ho towards resigning Saad again.