In a perfect world, the Avalanche and Tyson Barrie eventually will agree to a long-term contract that's in keeping with the team's much publicized salary structure, which apparently means no more than the $6 million cap hit for leading scorer Matt Duchene.
Erik Johnson also will make $6 million starting next season when his seven-year, $42 million contract extension begins.
Semyon Varlamov ($5.9 million), Gabriel Landeskog (5.57 million) and Jarome Iginla ($5.33 million) are next on the team's salary chart.
Barrie, who made $2.6 million this past season, can become a restricted free agent July 1 and is eligible for arbitration. Sound familiar? Ryan O'Reilly was in this situation when, in July 2014, his representatives struck a two-year, $12 million deal with the Avalanche just before the parties were about to begin a Colorado-elected arbitration hearing.
We all know how that story ended.
According to various reports, it doesn't appear that Barrie and general manager Joe Sakic are close to an agreement now, though that obviously could change. The Avalanche also need to re-sign Nathan MacKinnon, Calvin Pickard and Mikhail Grigorenko, all of whom will be restricted free agents July 1.
The Avalanche also have to make decisions on pending unrestricted free agents Mikkel Boedker and Shawn Matthias.
Would the Avalanche even consider trading Barrie, despite his obvious value as a 24-year-old, puck-moving defenseman? He matched his career high for goals (13) in 2015-16 -- five game winners -- was second on the team in assists (36) and third in average ice time (23:11).
Yes, he's small (5-10, 190) and weak defensively; he was minus-16, the fifth-worst figure on the team (usual partner Nick Holden was minus-1, which I still can't comprehend; Johnson was minus-19, worst among Colorado defensemen).
Barrie has to contribute offensively to offset his defense, and he slumped badly down the stretch with two goals and two assists in the final 16 games. He had no goals and two assists in the last nine games, eight of which the Avalanche lost.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes the Avalanche would trade Barrie, saying he's "definitely in play."
The Avalanche don't comment on negotiations.
I don't see how they can trade Barrie without getting a top-notch defenseman in return, or a solid player along with a lower pick to fetch one of the more coveted defense prospects in the NHL draft.
But it's impossible to know what Sakic and coach Patrick Roy are thinking, other than that they would prefer to sign Barrie to a long-term contract and avoid the kind of problems they always had with O'Reilly and his camp.
It's only May, so there's still plenty of time to get something done.