Barrage offseason: That's under arrangement and who will input cost-free agency this summer season?

Interesting piece by Mike Chambers from The Denver Post discussing some important points this week. Mike Chambers recently published this and I decided it was worth syndicating here.

After yet another second-round exit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Colorado Avalanche will be faced with some difficult decisions this offseason. The following is a look at the franchise’s salary commitments in the 2021-22 season:

Under contract (2021-22 cap hit*)

FORWARDS — Mikko Rantanen ($9.2 million); Nathan MacKinnon ($6.3 million); Andre Burakovsky ($4.9 million); Nazem Kadri ($4.5 million); Joonas Donskoi ($3.9 million); J.T. Compher ($3.5 million); Valeri Nishushkin ($2.5 million); Logan O’Connor ($725,000); Alex Newhook ($908,333); Sampo Ranta ($925,000)

Comment: A good chunk of the core group is accounted for. Rookies Newhook and Ranta remain in their modest entry-level contracts and will likely replace two of the unrestricted free agents to save on cap space. They, along with O’Connor, are exempt from the expansion draft. Other young depth forwards under contract include former first-round draft picks Martin Kaut and Shane Bowers.

DEFENSEMEN — Erik Johnson ($6 million); Sam Girard ($5 million); Devon Toews ($4.1 million); Ryan Graves ($3.2 million); Bo Byram ($894,167); Jacob MacDonald ($725,000)

Comment: Johnson, limited to just four games because of injuries, is expected to waive his no-movement clause to allow the Avs to protect Girard, Toews and restricted free agent Cale Makar in the expansion draft. Graves is a prime target for the Seattle Kraken. Byram is exempt from the draft, along with signed prospects Justin Barron and Nate Clurman.

GOALIES — Pavel Francouz ($2 million); Justus Annunen ($880,833)

Comment: Francouz missed the entire season with a hip injury that required surgery. He should be back at 100%. Annunen, 21, is the club’s top young prospect at the position.

Unrestricted free agents (2020-21 cap hit*)

FORWARDS — Gabe Landeskog ($5.6 million); Brandon Saad ($5 million); Matt Calvert ($2.8 million); Pierre-Edouard Bellemare ($1.8 million); Carl Soderberg ($1 million)

Avalanche Roundtable: Recapping playoff exit, offering offseason suggestions Chambers: Jared Bednar isn’t to blame. Avalanche players blew it with turnovers Kiszla: Seven playoff losses. Eight days of heartbreak. Why does loving the Avs and Nuggets have to hurt so much? Grading the Week: All hail Ethan Horvath, restorer of sanity to Empower Field and USMNT soccer Positives to Avalanche’s season buried beneath the bitter end

DEFENSEMEN — Patrik Nemeth ($1.5 million); Dan Renouf ($700,000)

GOALIES — Philipp Grubauer ($3.3 million); Devan Dubnyk ($2.2 million); Jonas Johansson ($700,000)

Comment: Re-signing Landeskog and Grubauer is the priority, but both require big money the team may not have. Saad will probably be replaced by a young player, along with Calvert, Bellemare, Soderberg, Nemeth, Dubnyk and Johansson.

Restricted free agents (2020-21 cap hit*)

FORWARDS — Tyson Jost ($874,125); Kiefer Sherwood ($750,000)

DEFENSEMEN — Cale Makar ($880,833); Conor Timmins ($925,000)

GOALIE — Adam Werner ($842,500)

Comment: Jost is a keeper and will get a handsome raise, although it might be determined by an arbitrator. Makar is bound to get big money — somewhere between what Rantanen and MacKinnon are making, which is partly why the Avs must go with young players on their entry-level contracts. They will likely also make qualifying RFA offers to Sherwood, Timmins and Werner.

*Source: CapFriendly.com