A potential issue arises between the Avalanche and a top-4 defenseman

The Colorado Avalanche have spoils of riches within the organization, especially on the blueline. Devon Toews, who turns 30 in February, was a topic of conversation on the latest 32 Thoughts Podcast, where Elliotte Friedman recounted something potentially problematic for the Avs:

Toews is one of the best two-way defensemen in the National Hockey League, make no mistake about it. The Avalanche likely don't win a Stanley Cup in 2022 if not for the presence of Devon Toews. He's an important player for them and, from all accounts, he loves being a member of the Colorado Avalanche.

The question here is how much does the team love him and how much does he love the team? Because if both sides want to maintain their partnership moving forward, the player is going to have to sacrifice something in the way of salary or term and the team will have to do the same. In other words, if Toews wants a long-term deal, he's going to have to come to terms with the fact that the salary will be well below the market value. If the team doesn't want to commit term to a 30-year-old asset, they may have to make it worth his while financially to entice him to stay.