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Erik Johnson

Colorado Avalanche Not Expected To Re-Sign Erik Johnson

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The longest-tenured player on the Colorado Avalanche roster is expected to enter free agency next week. Defenseman Erik Johnson isn’t likely to re-sign with the team, per ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, ending a 13-season run in Denver.

Given his age and injury history, it wouldn’t surprise many if the 35-year-old Minnesotan has played his last NHL game. While he didn’t live up to his first-overall billing after the St. Louis Blues made him the first player selected in the 2006 NHL Draft, he was one of the more capable two-way defenders in the league during his minute-munching prime early during his time in Colorado. He’s been a member of the Avalanche for more than 12 years, coming over via trade from the Blues in February 2011.

Coming back from multiple significant injuries throughout his career, Johnson’s excellence in a shutdown role in his latter years made him an underrated crucial piece in Colorado’s 2022 Stanley Cup victory. Averaging just over 17 minutes per game, he recorded five points and a +10 rating in 20 games en route to the championship.

His effectiveness looked diminished this season, though. He struggled to keep up at times and managed just eight assists in 63 games on the year. With the emergence of Bowen Byram as being able to play both left and right defense this year, it muddied Johnson’s role for the future.

He just completed a seven-year, $42MM extension that kicked in for the 2016-17 campaign. If he does opt to extend his NHL career and finds a home with a contender on the open market, it’s hard to imagine a deal worth much more than the league minimum of $775K.

Avalanche Notes: Toews, Johnson, Newhook

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In the second part of this latest mailbag series for The Athletic, Avalanche beat reporter Peter Baugh commented on many of the pressing issues surrounding the 2022 Stanley Cup champions over the coming months.

One such question is the future of standout defender Devon Toews, whose team-friendly four-year contract earning him $4.1MM per season expires in 2024. While Colorado will have some extra cap space for the 2023-24 campaign due to Gabriel Landeskog’s injury, Toews is due a gigantic raise that may complicate the long-term financial picture, especially with the trajectory of the salary cap uncertain.

Some would entertain the idea of trading the player behind him on the Avalanche depth chart, Samuel Girard, to create cap space, but Baugh says that’s not likely without an extension for Toews already in place. Given Girard’s cost certainty at a $5MM cap hit through 2027, Baugh even went so far as to suggest Toews being a potential trade candidate himself if an extension appears unlikely to materialize late into next season.

  • Baugh also said he believes defender Erik Johnson, the team’s longest-tenured player, is interested in returning to the team next season. The 35-year-old is a pending free agent upon expiration of his seven-year, $6MM cap hit extension signed in 2015 and likely wouldn’t command much above the league minimum on a one-year deal. Johnson registered just eight assists in 63 games last season while again dealing with some injuries.
  • Despite a lack of development this season, Baugh doesn’t think the Avalanche have lost faith in young center Alex Newhook. Expected to step into the vacated second-line center spot to begin the season, Newhook quickly slipped back into a bottom-six role and ended his regular season with 30 points in 82 games. While Colorado will likely use their additional cap flexibility this summer to add higher-end depth at center, the organization still needs more out of important young players like Newhook to maintain Cup contention.

Jack Johnson’s Injury Not Believed To Be Serious

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Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told Ryan Boulding of NHL.com that he doesn’t believe the injury to Jack Johnson is serious and he has the defenseman as day to day. Johnson was scratched late on Tuesday night before their game one matchup with the Seattle Kraken. Erik Johnson took his spot on the blue line in the 3-1 loss.

Jack Johnson had signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks last summer after winning his first Stanley Cup with Colorado. The Michigan alum then returned to the Avalanche in a midseason trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. Overall, the former third overall pick had two goals and six assists in 83 games split between both teams.

While Jack Johnson doesn’t possess the offensive abilities that he once did and has struggled at times in his own end, he is likely the best fit for Colorado’s third pairing. If he can play in game two on Thursday it would likely bump Erik Johnson back out of the lineup. The 2006 first overall pick has struggled this season after putting up a respectable 25 points just last year.

The Avalanche currently find themselves down 1-0 to the lower seeded Kraken as they begin the defense of the Stanley Cup. They are already missing Gabriel Landeskog and Josh Manson and can ill afford to lose any more bodies as they try to claw back even in their series with Seattle.

Avalanche Injury Notes: Makar, Rodrigues, Johnson

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The Colorado Avalanche will get a big boost to their lineup tonight, welcoming back defenseman Cale Makar as they take on the Arizona Coyotes, per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh.

Makar has been sidelined for the past two games with a lower-body injury and missed a combined nine games due to concussion protocols not too long before that. The 24-year-old Conn Smythe winner has once again been an all-world player for the Avalanche this year, recording 61 points in 55 games. With Makar back on the ice, Samuel Girard slides back down to a second-pairing role alongside Bowen Byram, giving Colorado its full complement of top-four defensemen.

There were more positive updates from Colorado practice today:

  • Forward Evan Rodrigues was practicing in a normal jersey on Friday, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, suggesting he could be close to returning to the lineup. Rodrigues missed the team’s last game while in concussion protocol and remains day-to-day. The 29-year-old has recorded 33 points in 58 games this season, his first with Colorado. While he’s not currently projected to play tonight against the Coyotes, he could return when Colorado heads to Arizona on Sunday.
  • Also according to Baugh, defenseman Erik Johnson is set to return tonight against the Coyotes after missing 18 games with a broken ankle. This is close to the healthiest Colorado’s defense has been all season, with now only Josh Manson missing from the fold. The 35-year-old will skate in a bottom-pairing role alongside Jack Johnson in his return to the lineup.

Injury Notes: Hall, Avalanche, Rangers

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With the playoffs beginning in just a handful of weeks, it appears an important piece of the Boston Bruins lineup is gearing up for a return from injury. Winger Taylor Hall was practicing in a non-contact jersey this morning, per The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa.

The skilled winger has been out of action since the end of February with a knee injury, and the Bruins are currently using his $6MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve to stay cap compliant down the stretch. If Hall is ready to return before the start of the playoffs, April 17, Boston would need to operate with an extremely trim roster to stay compliant before the end of the regular season. That likely won’t matter much for their success, with the President’s Trophy all but clinched.

  • While Erik Johnson had already returned to skating in a normal jersey at Colorado Avalanche practice, two other injured players joined him today — Cale Makar and Darren Helm, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic. Helm, who’s appeared in just five games this year as he’s been sidelined with multiple injuries, is set to rejoin the lineup tonight, says The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. Makar had missed the team’s last game with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day.
  • Ryan Lindgren and Tyler Motte both had maintenance days for the New York Rangers today, per Larry Books of The New York Post. Lindgren is fresh off returning from an 11-game absence due to an upper-body injury, and the team is likely going to ease him back into a normal game and practice routine with health for the playoffs at the top of everyone’s mind. Motte missed two games with an upper-body injury earlier in the month but has skated in seven straight contests since then, looking no worse for wear with three goals and an assist.

Injury Notes: Canadiens, Greenway, Johnson

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The Montreal Canadiens have been absolutely ravaged by injuries yet again this season, missing key players for long stretches. While they have no playoff aspirations at this point in the season, there is still some promising news for the team health-wise. The Athletic’s Marc Antoine Godin reports that forwards Kirby Dach, Jake Evans, and Brendan Gallagher were all at practice today, albeit in non-contact jerseys.

All three have missed significant stretches of time this season, especially Gallagher, who’s played just 25 games with intermittent lower-body injuries. His latest absence has kept him out since January 3 and is past his original estimated return timeline of six weeks. Evans exited the lineup a few weeks later and was issued a 10-week recovery timeline from a knee injury. Dach has been out since the end of last month with a lower-body injury and has no timeline for a return.

All are important players to Montreal in their own right, but Dach has especially been impressive in his first season in Montreal. The third overall pick in 2019 has taken a significant step in his offensive development since being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks, adding an even brighter star to an already bright future for the Canadiens.

  • Buffalo Sabres winger Jordan Greenway is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury, according to Bleacher Report contributor Joe Yerdon, adding to a bumpy season for him. The 26-year-old has just one goal in eight games since the Sabres acquired him at the trade deadline, and the team is quickly plummeting out of the Wild Card race.
  • On a positive note, The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando reports that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson practiced in a regular jersey today, signaling he’s close to a return. Johnson has missed over a month with a foot injury but could draw back into the lineup soon ahead of the playoffs. The 34-year-old has seven assists in 51 games this season.

Artturi Lehkonen Leaves Game With Upper-Body Injury

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The Colorado Avalanche have announced that Artturi Lehkonen will not return to tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens after leaving with an apparent upper-body injury.

It was quite an eventful night for Lehkonen who was playing in his first game back in Montreal since being traded to Colorado in March of 2022. Lehkonen received a video tribute and a standing ovation from the Montreal crowd, then followed it up by adding two goals and an assist in less than two periods of play. The injury puts a damper on what was an incredible return to Montreal for the former second round pick.

Lehkonen has been red hot as of late with seven points in his past five games. He’s been everything Colorado could have hoped for when they dealt a second-round pick and Justin Barron to Montreal for him just under a year ago. Lehkonen has flourished this season with a career high 49 points in 62 games. This after scoring 14 points in 20 games last postseason in Colorado’s magical run to the Stanley Cup.

Should Lehkonen miss any time it will be a big blow for an Avalanche team that has dealt with a multitude of injuries throughout this season. Colorado is already missing Josh Manson, Gabriel Landeskog, Darren Helm, Erik Johnson, and goaltender Pavel Francouz. Despite the injuries, Colorado has maintained stellar team defense this season as they rank seventh in the league in goals against. The Avalanche currently hold the final wild card spot in the west, but they have struggled as of late having dropped four of their last six games coming into tonight.

Central Notes: Stalock, Johnson, Dubois

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The Blackhawks were without goaltender Alex Stalock tonight against the Panthers as the team announced (Twitter link) that the veteran is out due to illness.  The 35-year-old has been a bright spot for Chicago this season, posting an impressive .920 SV% in 17 games, a mark that would put him in a tie for fourth in the league if he had enough qualifying appearances.  With the decision being announced so late, the Blackhawks didn’t have time to recall someone from AHL Rockford so instead, they’ve signed Zach Andrews, Florida’s emergency goaltender, to an ATO agreement.  The 31-year-old had a 45-12-4 record in four seasons with UMass-Boston from 2012 through 2016 with a .906 SV% and a 2.66 GAA.

More from the Central:

  • Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now that defenseman Erik Johnson appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from a broken ankle. The veteran has been out for a month with an expected recovery timeline of eight weeks.  He’s already skating so it’s quite possible that he’s able to return before another four weeks elapse.  Johnson has seven assists in 51 games this season and is not currently on LTIR so Colorado won’t have to make any roster moves to activate him when he’s ready to come back.
  • While the Jets were without Pierre-Luc Dubois last night against Minnesota with an upper-body injury, it doesn’t appear as if he’ll be out much longer. Postmedia’s Paul Friesen relays that Winnipeg expects the center to be back at some point on their road trip.  That trip begins Saturday in Florida and ends Tuesday in Carolina so it’s safe to say that Dubois should be back soon.  The 24-year-old has 24 goals and 31 assists in 61 games so far this season.

Colorado Avalanche Issue Multiple Injury Updates

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Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was busy with the media today, issuing multiple updates on the team’s swath of injured players.

Most notably, Bednar still has no timeline for a return on captain Gabriel Landeskog, who’s missed the entire season with a knee injury. Bednar called Landeskog’s recovery a “slow-moving process,” There remains no guarantee he will play at all this season.

There’s also the matter of veteran defenseman Erik Johnson, who’s been out for almost a month since sustaining a broken ankle in a game on February 11. His initial timeline for recovery was eight to 10 weeks, and although he remains on that timeline, Bednar said he was “startled” by Johnson’s quick recovery progress. Johnson skated today for the second time since sustaining the injury, and Bednar is hopeful his return will come closer to the eight-week mark, right at the end of the regular season.

Another tenured skater has missed most of the season for Colorado – two-time Stanley Cup champion Darren Helm has played just five games all year. Although he’s returned to skating at practice, Bednar’s only update was that he’s “cautiously optimistic” Helm will play again this season. Helm was an important fourth-line piece for Colorado last year, recording five points in 20 games en route to the Cup.

Defenseman Josh Manson is still dealing with a reaggravated lower-body injury that kept him out for 31 games earlier in the year, but Bednar sees his return is on the horizon. He remains hopeful Manson will return by the end of the month, giving him a chance to get his feet back under him before the playoffs start. An important defensive presence for Colorado, Manson has played just 27 games during the first season of a four-year, $4.5MM average annual value contract.

On a less positive note, backup goalie Pavel Francouz is recovering slower than expected from a lower-body injury that’s kept him out since mid-February. Francouz has now passed the expected recovery timeline of three weeks, but Bednar is hopeful he will return before the end of the season. Colorado has rotated backups in his place, recalling Keith Kinkaid, Jonas Johansson, and Justus Annunen at times.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Ben Meyers, Brad Hunt

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With Erik Johnson moving to injured reserve, the Colorado Avalanche have recalled Ben Meyers and Brad Hunt to give them a little more depth. The club had been carrying barely enough players to dress a full lineup and went with only 11 forwards over the weekend (plus Kurtis MacDermid, who plays both defense and forward).

Meyers, 24, has played in 28 games for the Avalanche this season but can’t seem to find his way onto the scoresheet. He has just one goal and has yet to record an assist in the NHL. During his time in the minor leagues, he had eight points in 14 games for the Colorado Eagles. The undrafted college free agent is still getting his feet wet in professional hockey and will get another chance with the Avalanche.

Hunt, meanwhile, has played 27 games for the Avalanche this season and 22 more for the Eagles, playing in the minor leagues for the first time since 2016-17. The depth defender can rack up points at will in the AHL, and has six on the year with the Avalanche so far. Now 34, he certainly isn’t the long-term answer for Colorado, but Hunt is a reliable veteran call-up that can play games without much risk.

Johnson suffered a lower-body injury over the weekend but no timeline has been given for his return yet.

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