The Colorado Avalanche have reacquired defenseman Erik Johnson from the Philadelphia Flyers for Givani Smith. The trade is one-for-one.
Johnson was drafted by the St. Louis Blues first overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft before he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 2011.
Johnson spent 13 seasons with Colorado which included some dark seasons as a member of the Avalanche in the early 2010s all the way up till their Stanley Cup win in 2022. Fitting, Johnson will look to close his career out as a member of the team where he won big.
Johnson played for the Buffalo Sabres in 2023-24 before he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. As Elliotte Friedman said on the Sportsnet panel, it is fitting that Johnson was traded back to Colorado.
The 36-year-old has 1009 career NHL games to date with 346 points (94G, 252A) and 551 PIMs across his 18 seasons.
The 6-foot-4 right-shot defender is known for his physical, shutdown style and the Avalanche will utilize just that. Johnson is on a one-year, $1 million contract that will expire at the end of the season. He will be an unrestricted free agent, but one has to wonder if he will retire at the end of the season.
Colorado has taken big swings, and it shows when they felt comfortable to bring Johnson back on the heels of a lengthy playoff run. Johnson will likely slot in as the seventh defenseman for the Avalanche as they get on the stretch run.
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