The Colorado Avalanche were not done making deals at Friday’s trade deadline. After pulling a late-night blockbuster on Thursday, the Avs added Charlie Coyle from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Casey Mittelstadt on Friday morning.
On Friday afternoon, the Avs brought back a familiar face in Erik Johnson. Johnson was a mainstay in Colorado for more than a decade, playing a total of 717 games for the Avalanche. Johnson was an integral part of the 2022 Stanley Cup-winning team.
Johnson signed with the Buffalo Sabres during the 2023 offseason, getting traded during the 2023-24 season after playing 50 games in Buffalo. Johnson was a deadline addition for the Philadelphia Flyers as they looked to squeak into the playoffs.
However, the Flyers, still a rebuilding team, found little use for the 36-year-old blue liner. Johnson had appeared in just 22 games for the Flyers this season, registering a goal and two assists. Johnson played his 1,000th NHL game earlier this season.
Going the other way is Givani Smith. Smith came along with MacKenzie Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks earlier this season. Smith played in a handful of games before being sent down to the Colorado Eagles.
Smith is unlikely to crack the Flyers’ lineup, most likely reporting to the AHL. Still, the Flyers may have use for Smith after trading Scott Laughton to the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier in the day. As such, the Flyers may need some healthy bodies to round out their forward group for the remainder of the season.
Colorado Avalanche get depth defensive help and leadership in Johnson
After acquiring Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers last week, the Avalanche plugged a major hole in their blue line. Plus, dealing away Oliver Kylington in the Brock Nelson deal opens up a spot for a seventh defenseman.
That seventh blue liner will likely be Johnson. While Johnson may sit in the press box for some time down the stretch, he could bump Sam Malinski on the third pairing. Johnson’s experience and grit make him an ideal choice for a tough first-round playoff series.
Regardless of who the Avalanche face in the first round, they’ll certainly be in need of the type of leadership that Johnson brings to the team. Plus, Johnson adds a degree of familiarity that the team had lost with the departure of other veterans like Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Andrew Cogliano.
In any event, coach Jared Bednar may look at a rotation in which Johnson and Malinski play with Josh Manson or Ryan Lindgren on the third pairing. At the end of the day, Johnson provides the depth and flexibility the club has lacked this season.