Colorado Avalanche Rumors: Considering Erik Johnson as Trade Bait

Jonathan Drouin

This is really the trade rumor/speculation that sparked this whole article.

However, this trade is the least likely to occur for a few different reasons:

• The Tampa Bay Lightning have quite literally no cap space right now, none.
• Erik Johnson carries a cap hit of six million.
• Jonathan Drouin is in the last year of his entry level contract, and carries a cap hit of $894,167
• So, the Avs would have to take just over five million in a contract back from the Lightning in order to get this trade done. Which basically means, yeah right.

I suppose the Avs could technically hold onto 50 percent of EJ’s contract, and then only have to take just over 2 million in cap back from the Lightning, but that trade is still unlikely.

As much as it would be great to see Jonathan Drouin reunited on Nathan MacKinnon’s wing, this trade is extremely unlikely.

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However, Jonathan Drouin is set to become a RFA this summer, and the Lightning are currently swimming in cap issues. Both Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson need new contracts this summer as well, and the Lightning aren’t getting much in the way of cap relief.

It is foreseeable that Drouin could hit the block depending on how the Lightning choose to manage their free agents this summer. So, the Avs best option is to stand pat on this deal for the time being.

Let’s move on to the next option.