Toews fills out the team's six projected starting spots on defense and allows for younger players in the system to develop at their own pace. Conor Timmins completed his first pro season in 2019-20--making the Avs' lineup for opening night and then seeing playing time in the playoffs--and 19-year-old prospect Bowen Byram could make the jump to the pro level after having success in junior and being named to Colorado's expanded postseason roster in the Edmonton hub city.
"We've seen enough of Conor, we know enough that he might be ready to take the next step," Sakic said. "Byram, we're going to give him every opportunity--but also knowing that we don't want to put a lot of pressure on them. We want them to come in slowly and at their own pace."
The addition of Toews to an already strong group that includes Johnson, Ian Cole, Samuel Girard, Ryan Graves and Calder Trophy-winner Cale Makar will allow the Avalanche to ease its prospects into the best league in the world with hopes of them possibly being ready for full-time action the following year.
Having young players contribute in future seasons will be key to the Avs' success.
Colorado is expected to have room under the salary cap to possibly make more moves before or during next season, but the team will join most, if not all, other teams in the league in facing a serious cap crunch after the upcoming campaign. The 2020-21 salary cap is staying at the same $81.5 million upper limit that it was last year, and it could remain that way for several more years due to economic concerns of the league created from the current pandemic.
The Avalanche has several key players it needs to sign before 2021-22 that could limit its future free agent signings, and the moves Sakic made this year kept that in mind. Among the current Avs that are in need of new contracts after the upcoming season are Landeskog, Makar and goaltender Philipp Grubauer.