Erik Johnson is the cornerstone of the Colorado Avalanche defense. Fans, pundits and sports writers can quibble about whether Johnson is elite or deserves to be a #1 defenseman, but there’s not questioning he’s the Colorado Avalanche’s #1 defenseman.
The 2015-16 season is the final year of the Erik Johnson contract extension signed in July 2013. While the contract carries an annual cap hit of just $3.75 million, Johnson is slated to make $4.25 million next season.
At the conclusion of next season, Erik Johnson becomes an unrestricted free agent. The Colorado Avalanche need to extend his contract before that happens.