Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic did make good on a promise he made at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season — he attended to the blueline.
Last season the Avalanche extended cornerstone defenseman Erik Johnson by seven years. He would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer. The contract kicks in this year.
This season the team took defenseman Tyson Barrie through arbitration. The player filed for the hearing, but Sakic seemed to want to make a point to the Newports Sports Management Agency — the centerpiece of Ryan O’Reilly‘s contentious negotiations.