from Mike Chambers of the Denver Post,

The Avalanche will omit left wing and team captain Gabe Landeskog from its expansion-draft protective list when it’s released Sunday morning, according to a league source. The move will give the Seattle Kraken exclusive rights to recruit the pending unrestricted free agent long before free agency opens July 28.

It will also allow the Avalanche to protect another forward.

All potential free agents left unprotected for the expansion draft can exclusively interview and potentially sign a contract with the Kraken between Sunday morning and Wednesday night’s expansion draft. If Seattle and Landeskog agree to a deal before the draft, Landeskog would count as the Kraken’s one selection from the Avalanche.

Landeskog, 28, is presumably looking for a long-term deal with an annual cap hit of more than $7 million — and $49 million over seven years is probably what he wants. The Avs, meanwhile, are more likely coming in around $30 million over five years ($6 million annual cap hit) — hoping that their nine-year captain and 10-year player accepts a home-town discount.

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