Flyers NHL Trade Deadline Candidates: Erik Johnson
The Philadelphia Flyers have slipped in the Eastern Conference playoff race approaching the NHL Trade Deadline. Will the rebuilding organization choose to be sellers for the fifth season in a row?
Danny Briere and the Philadelphia front office will continue to work the phones leading up to the deadline on March 7 at 3pm Eastern time.
The Flyers will most likely pursue additional flexibility for future large-scale moves by making small-scale moves in March to shuffle veterans on the 2024-25 team who don’t have as much impact on the big picture of the rebuild.
- Scott Laughton
- Rasmus Ristolainen
- Erik Johnson
- Andrei Kuzmenko
Erik Johnson
The Flyers traded a fourth-round pick on NHL Trade Deadline day in 2024 for Erik Johnson. The veteran defenseman contributed minimally in 17 games for a team that dramatically plummeted out of playoff position.
Johnson returned to Philadelphia on a one-year contract worth $1 million for what could be his final NHL season at age 36. He’s sat as a healthy scratch for long stretches in 2024-25. He’s played 22 games this season and only seven games since November 20.
The Flyers have heavily emphasized the importance of culture as a foundation of their rebuild. They value a player like Johnson even when he’s out of the lineup because of his intangible contributions.
The 6-foot-4 tower has accepted a mentorship role for younger defenseman like Emil Andrae and Jamie Drysdale. His lengthy NHL experience has helped shape the dressing room in unique ways. Look no further than his initiative to invite Jett Luchanko to live with him during the rookie’s short NHL stint to begin the season.
NHL Trade Deadline Value
Stanley Cup contenders prefer passable veteran depth, especially on the blue line, entering the playoffs to cover themselves from an injury forcing unprepared young players into critical situations they’re not ready for. A suitable seventh defenseman like Johnson might bring back late-round draft capital as insurance.
Johnson spoke about his future candidly with John Kincade and Kevin Cooney at the Flyers Charities Carnival.
“I have had some conversations with Danny (Briere) about what’s going to happen at the deadline (about) if I’m moved, if I’m not, if there’s a possibility for next year. (There’s) a lot of moving parts, but my intention is to stay here and play here as long as I can.” –Erik Johnson on 97.5 The Fanatic
Briere and John Tortorella have both stated on the record that they must avoid an attachment to players who get along well in the dressing room.
“You have to listen (to trade offers) because you can’t fall in love. If there’s something that really is a good situation for the time frame that we’re in with our team right now, I’m sure Danny’s going to look really hard at it.” -John Tortorella
However, players with higher impact than Erik Johnson will force tougher decisions on how to maintain the balance of culture and talent.
Will the Flyers decide a sixth-round pick (or a comparable return) is worth losing Johnson’s short-term presence in the locker room and his possible long-term presence in the organization after his playing career? Probably not.
Verdict: STAY
