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OK, so it’s not the smash hit, Netflix show of the summer, although as one fan, jokingly put it, “I would like to sincerely thank the hockey gods for this drama on a random Tuesday in August”.
The Flyers contract situation with Ryan Johansen has been playing out like a spring drama filled with a few unexpected summer plot twists and likely a few more still to come before the series finale.
The Flyers put out a statement on X statement:
A STATEMENT FROM KO Sports Inc., Founder and CEO, Kurt Overhardt, on the Philadelphia Flyers attempt to terminate Ryan Johansen’s contract (August 20, 2024)
“Ryan Johansen has a serve hockey injury that requires extensive surgery which has been scheduled. Since being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, Ryan has worked in good faith with the Club, its medical staff, and authorized third-party physicians. The Flyers’ attempt to terminate Ryan’s contract is disappointing. We have been in contact with the NHLPA and will defend Ryan and protect his rights”.
Ryan Johansen, Wait, That, Ryan Johansen?
You’d be forgiven for not recalling the Flyers even had Ryan Johansen on the team. An NHL vet with 202 Goals and 578 points in 905 games are not the types of players fans forget.
Johansen was acquired alongside a 1st round pick in 2025 was acquired in March 2024, in the deal that sent Sean Walker and a 5th Round pick in 2026.
What were the Flyers thinking?
Back in March 2024, Philly Hockey Now’s Johathan Bailey wrote an exclusive that revealed Briere’s thinking on the acquisition:
“He claimed to be injured when we traded for him, so we had him see the doctors. They found an injury, so now he’s going to be rehabbing. You can’t send down a player who’s injured, so he’s going to be doing rehab until… we don’t know when”
“That’s about all I can say at this time, or all that I have. So, he’s back on our roster doing rehab and trying to get better.”
Later that month, Max Miller of the Hockey News revealed that Johansen was dealing with a hip injury which included a statement,
“Flyers GM Danny Briere said himself that Johansen wouldn’t play in the NHL and that he would try to trade him again to give him another chance.”
A secondary trade at the deadline to move Johansen to a contender did not materialize.
Back in April, Briere was quoted as saying:
“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,” Flyers GM Daniel Briere said back in April. “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.”
In a June 2024, Briere said,
“As far as I know, (Johansen is) doing stuff that isn’t too invasive to see if it can rectify his issues. I think he’s coming in here next week to meet with our doctors and trainers, so we’re hoping to get a little more clarification on the rest of the summer and leading into camp and the season next year.”
Johansen was not likely part of their plans:
As Nick Tricome of the Philly Voice put it:
“Now look, Johansen was never really in the Flyers’ plans to begin with after they got him in the deadline trade with the Avalanche for Sean Walker. It was almost entirely a cap absorption move to get a first-rounder out of Colorado, and after clearing waivers and getting assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL, Johansen probably would’ve been on the fast track for a buyout were it not for an injury that suddenly popped up and prevented him from skating.”
As Tricome wrote, “the timing of Johansen’s injury was certainly strange, as Johansen played for the Avalanche as recently as March 4 – two days before being acquired by the Flyers. That game was his 63 game of the year for the Avalanche. He goes on to say “it is worth noting that in that March 4 game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Johansen took only 13 shifts, his second-lowest total of the season”.
He further goes on to describe the twist and turns that have already played out for the Flyers summer. Like a good blockbuster, there still could be unexpected developments to come.
NHLPA said: “The Philadelphia Flyers’ actions raise significant concerns. We are currently reviewing the matter.”
The NHL Players’ Association said it is reviewing the Philadelphia Flyers’ decision to place 32-year-old forward Ryan Johansen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract due to a material breach.
If upheld, the Flyers stand to remove $4 Million from their cap space, in likely the only remaining avenue left. Injured players cannot be bought out nor assigned to the AHL. The Flyers have used the LTIR, similarly to Chris Pronger, but a material breach in contract allowed them to hopefully avoid future drama and just remove him from the team.
Time will tell if they were in the right. Here’s to hoping Ryan Johansen can return to hockey and resume his career.
Following this week’s developments in the Flyers / Johansen saga, we’ll attempt to return to the previously scheduled program:
Next week: Defensemen
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JR Martin
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