Coming Home: Avs trade to bring Cup champ Erik Johnson back
Mar 7, 2025, 1:46 PM
The Colorado Avalanche have added a franchise icon to bolster their blueline ahead of Friday’s NHL Trade Deadline, picking up Erik Johnson.
Colorado sent Givani Smith to the Flyers to make the deal happen. Smith had no stats in seven games playing for the Avs, coming over as part of the Alexandar Georgiev-Mackenzie Blackwood trade in December. Smith is a 27-year-old former second-round pick who has bounced around the NHL with little production so far.
Meanwhile, Johnson left the Avs after the 2022-23 season and has played 717 games in Burgundy and Blue, the eighth-most in franchise history. The soon-to-be 37-year-old was key to Colorado’s Cup win in 2022, going plus 10 with five points over the Avs 20-game run through to a title.
Johnson has spent the last two years between Buffalo and Philadelphia. He recently celebrated his 1,000th game played in the NHL, which he played with some help from the Avs, who were in town.
A former first-overall pick, Johnson was the longest-tenured Denver athlete before he left town as a member of the Avs since 2011. The veteran defenseman has only played 22 games this season and is no longer as good as a bunch of players he mentored, led by Cale Makar.
Now, Johnson will likely slide in as a depth defenseman and option for Jared Bednar as a third-pairing guy as he tries to wrap up his career with a second Stanley Cup. While Makar and Devon Toews hold down the top paring, Josh Manson, Ryan Lindgren and Samuel Girard will all be in the lineup. That leaves Johnson, Keaton Middleton and Sam Malinski battling for the sixth spot.
Johnson is known for his strong contributions in the rebuilding of the Avs, bridging eras for the team and helping them eventually win a cup.
The trade for Johnson is one of many moves Colorado has made this season. The deal for Blackwood was one of two targeting the team’s goalie group as they picked up Scott Wedgewood as well to remake their net. The biggest move came when Mikko Rantanen was shipped out for Martin Necas. Mikko has since been traded to the Stars. Then there’s Charlie Coyle, whom the Avs added earlier on Friday for Casey Mittelstadt. And Colorado’s big move for Brock Nelson to figure out the second-line center role. The Avs also added Lindgren to the blueline last week.
At least from the outside looking it, it appears Colorado is all-in this spring.
