Nope - the Avs didn't trade two 2nd's and sign Toews to a 4-year deal just to lose him for nothing.

Nope

Who do leave unprotected to keep towed tho

you couldnt be more wrong about Toews

and based on your last post with an avs trade, you are doing this on purpose to try to gaslight people

Graves

Right now, that is the gotta the base case scenario.

Avs fans keep saying they won’t move players before expansion draft, won’t buy out players, and won’t work side deal with Seattle.

So someone has to tell me why Seattle would not take Toews here. How does Colorado escape with Toews still on roster?

EJ likely waives, if not, buyout

I very much doubt EJ - or any player with two years remaining - waives their NMC. And Avs fans have said they won’t buy him out.

Why wouldn't he? There's 0 chance he's taken and has proven to be a team-first guy. Fans are not making the decision, Sakic is & I strongly doubt he let go of Toews.

I agree, letting go of Toews would be foolish.
My gripe is with the unrealistic approach saying no trades, no buyouts, no side deals. There will have to be one of those things!

Also, we all did this on NMC waivers last time in 2017. Many were asked to waive and nobody did except MAF (to be selected) and Toby Enstrom. I did a run down here. Its not like waiving for a single trade. For this purpose, they have to waive the NMC altogether. Players with multiple years left won't do that.

Gotta think EJ waives but in the case he doesn't, and no side deal can be reached, you essentially have to leave Toews unprotected unfortunately. That is, unless they go the 8 skater route.

Avs will protect Makar, Toews, and Girard. Seattle takes Graves

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Somehow, that seems more appropriate.

My goodness, the amount of clueless people who actually think Toews will be exposed is mind boggling.

1. They just traded 2 2nds and signed him to a 4 year deal. You don't do that and risk losing him year two.
2. EJ will waive, and SEA has no reason to pick a 33 y/o dman who only played 4 games this year and making 6 mill a year. Especially when they could have Donskoi, Compher, or Graves instead
3. If EJ doesn't waive, he gets bought out.
4. If no buy out for some weird reason, Avs go 8 skaters... Mack, Moose, Lando, Makar, Girard, Toews, EJ ... and last forward Kadri or Bura or Nuke, it doesn't really matter, all of them are worth less than Toews.