In a move that comes following reports that the Avalanche and Gabriel Landeskog’s camp are far apart in contract negotiations, it is now expected that Landeskog, the Avs captain, will be left unprotected in the expansion draft.
With the trading this week of Ryan Graves, it’s clear the three defensemen the Avs will protect in the expansion draft to be Cale Makar, Samuel Girard, and Devon Toews. In net, the protected player will be Philipp Grubauer.
Up front, the belief is Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Andre Burakovsky, Nazem Kadri, Tyson Jost, and Valeri Nichushkin will be protected. With Landeskog being exposed, that leaves one open protection spot, and the identity of that player isn’t quite known yet.
In order to protect a Joonas Donskoi or J.T. Compher, the Avs will have had to have made a move to to sign another eligible forward in the expansion draft, otherwise their protection list would be ineligible. Another potential option is them protecting Logan O’Connor and still exposing both Compher and Donskoi.
DNVR will update the full protection list tomorrow, but the big bombshell is Gabriel Landeskog being exposed. That’s not the only Landeskog news.
In news surely related to Landeskog being left unprotected, DNVR has also confirmed the report from Andy Strickland that Landeskog is asking for $9-10M per year. At this point, the Avs don’t appear ready to go near that number.
Stay tuned to DNVR for more Avalanche news, as this is already shaping up to be a crazy few weeks for the home team.
0 Comments (9 conversations)
briggs1628
I don’t like this. Not one little bit. They can’t afford to lose Landy, not this way.
Vaguely Sober
If that’s his ask, let him walk
I absolutely hate saying this but if that price tag is true then you have to let him walk. Makar and MacKinnon’s next contract are of the upmost importance. This sucks.
Hockeyhead
I do not want the Avs to lose Landy, but there is no way in this universe or reality that he is worth 9-10 million. If another team gives him that much and the full 7 years of term, they will be sorry and probably sooner than later. Landy also needs to remember that the Avs are cup competitive now. If he goes to another team for the money, the cup may elude him forever.
Dan G
If the Avs lose Landy to free agency, going to Seattle might be the best way for them to lose him. That way they do not also lose someone else and they also gain the cap space with plenty of time before July 28 retain other pending UFAs. I honestly do not see who, among the current players on the roster, can replace Landy with the C. I know MacKinnon might seem next in line and would just be a promotion from A to C, but I am just not sure his temperament is right. The dude is intense and seems so super focused on his own game, I am not sure he can lead others.
SacAvsFan
I hate, hate, hate the idea of Landy playing in anything other than an Avs sweater, but there’s is no way in hell we can afford to pay him $9-$10 mil/year for 7-8 years. If he really wants that much money it’s gonna have to be somewhere else. Still holding on to the little bit of hope i have left that this will all end with Landy leading us onto the ice for the 21-22 season, but preparing myself for his departure.
HollywoodMark
For that price tag, Landy can go lead another franchise to year after year of early playoff exits. I know that sounds kind of bitter, but really, where has the character and grit of this team been at crucial moments in the last several seasons. If that C’s once your sweater, you gotta take ownership of leading the team out of bad places like losing four straight and giving up late game leads. If that had been done, no price would be too high.
Sunfunbun
Do you have a timeline and true proof as to when you believe Landeskog asked for 9-10 million, or is it just the latest rumor? Landeskog wanted to sign a contract months ago, and I’d bet if he got a 7×7 offer, he’d have signed it. There is no confirmed proof from Landeskog or the Avs on either Landeskog’s demands or the Avs offer.
It’s bias to just say Landy wanted a certain amount without knowing for sure and referring to what some Deep Puck St. Louis reporter said in a garage.
I stand by the reporting we did in this story on confirming the information put out there and feel no need to give you any more details on it than we’ve provided. You’re welcome to dismiss it or believe it. Entirely up to you!
Nunes
The question here is the same question Flames fans are dealing with. What’s more important…your captain or your captains cap hit. In a cold calculated business model, it’s the cap hit.