Flyers don't expect veteran center to play in 2024-25

Flyers center Ryan Johansen isn’t expected to play before his contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 season, GM Daniel Brière told reporters Friday, via Jon Bailey of Philly Hockey Now.

Johansen was acquired from the Avalanche as part of the Sean Walker trade before the trade deadline, and he was waived the following day for assignment to AHL Lehigh Valley. He informed the Flyers after the trade that he was dealing with a hip injury, which was subsequently confirmed by the team’s medical staff, resulting in his AHL assignment being reversed. The 31-year-old remained on the active roster for the rest of the season but did not play in a game.

Brière said that he didn’t ever envision Johansen suiting up for the Flyers after the trade, but that was before he had knowledge of the injury. It’s a long-term absence, as implied by Brière’s full statement, which means the team can’t execute a buyout on the final season of his contract:

"All I can tell you is I don’t expect him to be back. I don’t know, exactly, the situation. We’re dealing on the medical side with him. The thing for him is getting him back to be able to play at this time. He doesn’t think he can play hockey. I wish I had a better answer for you. We need to get him better to figure out if there’s even a remote chance of him dressing for the organization."

Johansen’s contract has been moved twice in the past calendar year. Entering this season at an $8M cap hit for two more years with the Predators, Nashville traded him to Colorado last summer at 50% retention. The Avs hoped he would be able to plug their second-line center vacancy behind Nathan MacKinnon, but the former 71-point scorer struggled mightily in the role, posting just 13 goals and 23 points in 63 games before the team cut ties and traded him and his reduced $4M cap hit to Philadelphia. Johansen didn’t miss any time in Colorado with his apparently severe hip injury.

He was a negative possession player during his time in Colorado and averaged only 13:39 per game, but he was still strong in the faceoff dot with a 53.1 FOW%. Still, his offensive production and average ice time was lower than all four of the Flyers’ regular centers (Sean Couturier, Morgan Frost, Scott Laughton, Ryan Poehling) last season, and he wouldn’t have had a fit on the team even if healthy.

The Flyers may be unable to rid themselves of the final year of Johansen’s contract entirely. But if his hip injury stretches into next season as expected, they can place his $4M cap hit on long-term injured reserve and gain cap relief that way, much like they did with defenseman Ryan Ellis’ $6.25M 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 sustaining a career-ending pelvic injury.