Ryan Johansen, the Flyers’ center, is unlikely to play before his contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 season, according to general manager Daniel Brière.
Johansen was acquired from the Avalanche as part of the Sean Walker trade prior to the trade deadline, but he was waived the next day and assigned to AHL Lehigh Valley. He notified the Flyers following the trade that he was battling with a hip issue, which was later validated by the team’s medical staff, and his AHL assignment was reversed. The 31-year-old stayed on the active roster for the rest of the season, but did not appear in any games.
Brière stated that he never saw Johansen suiting up for the Flyers following the trade, even before learning of the injury. Brière’s complete statement today implies that it is a long-term absence, which means the team cannot execute a buyout on the last season of his contract:
All I can tell you is that I don’t anticipate him to return. I am not sure what the scenario is. We are dealing with him medically. The important thing for him is to get back to where he can play now. He does not believe he can play hockey. I wish I had a better response for you. We need to get him better before we can determine whether he has any chance of dressing for the organization.
Johansen’s contract has been changed twice in the last calendar year. Nashville moved him to Colorado last summer for 50% retention, and he enters this season with a $8MM cap cost for two more years. The Avs believed he could fill the second-line center slot behind Nathan MacKinnon, but the former 71-point scorer failed in the role, scoring only 13 goals and 23 points in 63 games until the team parted ways with him and moved him to Philadelphia for a lower $4MM salary charge. Johansen did not miss any time in Colorado despite his apparent significant hip injury.
He was a negative possession player in Colorado, averaging only 13:39 a game, but he was still good on the faceoff dot, with a 53.1 FOW%. Nonetheless, his offensive productivity and average ice time were lower than all four of the Flyers’ regular centers last season (Sean Couturier, Morgan Frost, Scott Laughton, Ryan Poehling), and he would not have fit on the team even if healthy.
The Flyers may be unable to fully terminate Johansen’s contract in the final year. However, if his hip ailment lasts into next season as projected, they can place his $4MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve and earn cap relief, like they did with defenseman Ryan Ellis’ $6.25MM cap hit this season. Ellis, acquired from Nashville as part of a three-team trade in 2021, had five points in four games for the Flyers before suffering a career-ending pelvic injury.
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