Philadelphia Flyers Acquires Erik Johnson from Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres have traded Erik Johnson to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a 4th round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. There will be no salary retention for the Sabres. The Minnesota native made his NHL debut as a 19-year-old in 2007 and is now skating in his 17th season.

A big shut-down defenseman, Johnson is a good skater for the third-pairing to add veteran depth at the blue line. While he doesn’t bring much offense, he is good in his own zone. He played on the penalty kill for the Sabres. He’s played on a range of teams up and down the standings. He’s skated in 55 playoff games in his career with a total of 13 points scored (five goals and eight assists).

Johnson signed with the Sabres on July 1, 2023. He is on a one-year contract with a $3.25 million cap hit. He was the first overall pick by the St. Louis Blues in the 2006 NHL Draft. He’s played 970 games in the NHL, putting up 340 points (91 goals and 249 assists). Johnson played for the St. Louis Blues, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Sabres. He spent the biggest chunk of his career with the Avalanche, spending parts of 13 seasons with them. He won the 2021-22 Stanley Cup with Colorado.

The Flyers are currently thin on defense with newly-signed Nick Seeler on IR and Jamie Drysdale out with an injury, Johnson will bring a veteran presence to the blue line. This season, Johnson has two goals in 50 games played.