Port Moody’s Ryan Johansen is still on the roster of the Philadephia Flyers.
But he’s not playing for his new team and his NHL future remains clouded in uncertainty.
The 31-year-old centerman was traded to the Flyers by the Colorado Avalanche on March 6 and then immediately put on waivers for reassignment to the team’s minor league affiliate in Lehigh Valley, Penn.
But almost two weeks later, Johansen is still on the NHL team’s roster although he hasn’t played a game.
Yesterday, March 17, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere told the blog Philly Hockey Now Johansen is injured and can’t be sent down.
He didn’t disclose the nature of the injury.
“He’s back on our roster doing rehab and trying to get better,” Briere said, adding the team had no knowledge of Johansen’s injury prior to acquiring him along with a conditional selection in the first round of the 2025 NHL draft in exchange for defenseman Sean Walker and a fifth-round pick in the 2026 draft.
Johansen last played on March 4 — two days before the trade — in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He had almost 11 minutes of ice time, but recorded no points and no shots on goal.
Johansen had 23 points in 63 games this season with the Avalanche, which acquired him from the Nashville Predators in June, 2023. He started his NHL career in 2011 with the Columbus Blue Jackets and was traded to the Predators in 2016 for Seth Jones.
Johansen missed 12 weeks last season while still with the Predators after he was cut on his right leg during a game Feb. 21 against the Vancouver Canucks. The injury required surgery.
In 905 career NHL games, Johansen has scored 202 goal and added 376 assists.
Johansen has a year left on an eight-year contract worth $64 million he signed with Nashville, which is continuing to pay half his salary.
