Ashley's Two Cents
What will it take to re-sign Gabe Landeskog?
With the NHL deciding that pending unrestricted free agents for the 2021-22 season can begin to negotiate extensions come Monday, Avs captain Gabe Landeskog falls under the umbrella that deems him eligible to do so. So what possible deal could the Avalanche offer? or what deal should Gabe’s team chase? There are several scenarios that could play out here (which I’ll discuss), with determining factors that are yet to be decided or known in-full, it really could shoot a knuckle-puck into the free agency net.
Either way, Gabe’s deal is not going to linger as I feel both sides of the deal know what is in their best interests. It’s just a matter of numbers now; The length of term, the money and clauses have yet to be decided. I believe there may be just two legitimate scenarios that could play out, all being beneficial for both sides. There is an obvious option and a safe(ish) option with some gamble involved.
Scenario Number One: The Most Likely And Obvious
Landeskog inks a sever year, $49 million deal, with a no-trade clause through all seven years and some front-loaded cash, thinning out over the last three years of the deal. This contract makes sense for several reasons; With the cap staying put at $81.5 million for two more seasons, 2019 re-signing comparisons are still in play here. There is a relativity factor that doesn’t change. Not only in terms of production per dollar but cap hit percentages. When going over the 2019 re-signings, I found three solid comparable deals that should be in the ballpark for Landeskog: