Throw the man a party; he’s finally got a team!
After moving from Colorado to Florida, back to Colorado, then to Arizona, where he was again placed on waivers, the Colorado Avalanche have claimed him. Again.
The Coyotes snagged Conor Ingram this week, which raised fan speculation that Johansson may be on the move again. Many hoped Colorado would ‘make the right choice’ and take him again. Those speculations came true on October 12th when Elliotte Friedman tweeted that Johansson was back in Colorado.
The Avalanche will be able to send Johansson directly to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, as they were the only team that put in a waiver claim for the 27-year-old netminder.
This is a great move for the Avalanche and benefits the Eagles. Johansson is beloved by fans for his rare but clutch performances in burgundy and blue. Especially his president’s trophy-clinching performance against the LA King in 2020/21. He has played 32 NHL games between Colorado, Buffalo, and Florida.
With Hunter Miska playing in Germany and Trent Miner needing more development, Johansson can be a solid backup with Justus Annunen. The Eagles need two goalies they can use interchangeably to make it far in the postseason. Johansson is a good AHL goalie.
Overall, Colorado fans are ecstatic to have their favorite backup goalie back home.
Hopefully, Johansson can throw out the moving boxes and set down roots. If he can stay with a team, learn their system, and get regular starts, he could become a dependable AHL goalie and solid NHL third-string.
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