According to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, the Philadelphia Flyers are willing to retain veteran defenseman Erik Johnson for another season.
Johnson, 36, was acquired by the Flyers via an NHL trade deadline transaction with the Buffalo Sabres, making Philadelphia his third home in two seasons.
Kurz, listing what he’s heard as the Flyers prepare for their offseason, says the Flyers “have not closed the door” on Johnson’s return, which is consistent with their general mentality over the last year or two. Furthermore, the Flyers only have five defenseman under contract for the upcoming season.
Flyers general manager Danny Briere previously listed Marc Staal as “one of the obvious” players who will be departing the team this summer, thus Staal gets crossed off the list. Egor Zamula will most likely earn a qualifying offer and continue with the team for at least another year.
That leaves Johnson, the Flyers’ NHL defenseman, as the only guy standing. Johnson has already admitted that he isn’t the player he once was in Colorado, but he found a way to contribute to a youthful Flyers club despite his age of 36.
Head coach John Tortorella routinely teamed Johnson and Zamula together, and the two developed friendship on and off the ice. Johnson is unlikely to play as much for the Flyers as he did after signing in March, as long as Rasmus Ristolainen’s return from surgery to repair a ruptured triceps tendon goes smoothly.
Should Johnson continue his career playing in the NHL, the Flyers will surely have a spot for him. The team still needs a senior defenseman who is liked and well-respected in the locker room, and the former Stanley Cup champion is precisely that.
Briere was also formerly teammates with Johnson in Colorado, so if anybody knows what Johnson can still provide to the Flyers, it’s Briere.
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