Colorado Avalanche: Top 10 Moments of 2015

8 of 11

#4: Erik Johnson Extended

erik johnson
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson has suffered a lot of ups and downs in his short career. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

After the rigmarole of the loss of Paul Stastny to free agency and the Ryan O’Reilly trade, I was a little worried about an Erik Johnson contract extension. At the conclusion of the 2015-16 season, Johnson was due to become an unrestricted free agent.

Now, Erik Johnson is a big, agile defenseman who plays all 200 feet of ice like it’s game 7 of the playoffs. In other words, he’s an extraordinarily valuable player — the cornerstone of the Avalanche’s defense, to be exact.

Well, on September 22, 2105, the Colorado Avalanche announced that the team had successfully negotiated a contract extension with Erik Johnson. The terms — seven years at $6 million per — are extremely favorable for both parties and keep Erik in burgundy and blue through the 2022-23 season.

Erik Johnson talks about his commitment to staying with the Colorado Avalanche:

The Colorado Avalanche are very fortunate to have Johnson for the next seven years.

Next: #3