Colorado Avalanche Defenseman Erik Johnson was Playing with Shoulder Injury

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson is not getting old and useless as some (not me) would suggest. He was playing injured.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson has undergone successful shoulder surgery. And, while he’s too diplomatic to thumb his nose at all the fans who were denigrating his skills, calling him old, and lamenting his contract… I am not so dimplomatic.

Erik Johnson was playing in pain for heaven knows how long, and he was still better and more consistent than the majority of his defensive charges. I mean, I’m not a sissy about pain, but if I have a crick in my neck from sleeping wrong, I’m useless all day.

Meanwhile, Johnson had a shoulder issue so significant it required surgery. So, I think he could be forgiven not being quite at the top of his game, especially since he was still pretty darn good.
The team isn’t in the habit of revealing player I juries, which is fair. However, Johnson himself revealed the fact of his surgery via Instagram:

As you can see, Johnson had surgery on his left shoulder, which is his dominant side.

There’s no knowing when he got injured. Johnson’s play was up and down same as all the other players on the team. However, it was during the playoffs that fans, at least those vocal on Twitter and the comments sections of BSN and the Athletic, were howling about EJ being a defensive liability to the team. There was one goal in particular,  made by Timo Meier in the 2nd round, that had fans up in arms:

As you can see, Johnson turned the puck over. What got fans irate was the way he didn’t stretch to recover it. Makes sense now, though, when you know about his injury, especially as you can see Meier was on the side that eventually underwent surgery. It also makes sense why he wasn’t as physical in the playoffs as you might have expected.

I’m certainly not going to suggest EJ was a liability.  In fact, I wrote about his redemption in the next game:

Johnson on his off day is better than most of the defensemen we have. And 31 is far from old for a player who’s known for going above and beyond to keep himself in shape. He patronizes the same fitness coach as Nathan MacKinnon, another player renowned for his elite level of fitness.

He also recorded two goals during the playoffs:

Shoulder injuries and surgeries are tricky. Full recovery for normal people can take as much as six months. Erik Johnson, of course, isn’t normal people. He’s an elite athlete. I’m sure he’s working closely both with the best experts in Vail — a place well-known to have top-notch athletic rehabilitation programs — and the team’s own medical personnel.

In other words, I know he’s getting the best care and is in the best position to heal quickly.

Johnson is the Colorado Avalanche’s longest-tenured member, having come over via trade from the St. Louis Blues in 2012. He has long been captain Gabriel Landeskog’s right-hand man, mentoring the then-rookie in their first season together and eventually through Landeskog’s captaincy.

Johnson is an integral part of the Avalanche’s leadership team. Indeed, he’s such a mentor to his young defensive charges that I call him the captain of the blueline. Even the Avs know what he means to the youngsters:

While this wasn’t the beginning of the trip. EJ did take the youngster, Samuel Girard, to Vegas for his all-important 21st birthday.

Erik Johnson is a player who shows extreme loyalty to the logo and the fans. He has stuck with this team through thick and thin.

I never doubted him for a second. I know he’s going to come back twice as strong — and as valuable as always for the Colorado Avalanche.