March 08, 2024

NHL trade deadline: Flyers acquire veteran D-man Erik Johnson from Sabres

Johnson will bring added veteran depth and Stanley Cup-winning experience to the Flyers' blue line.

By Nick Tricome
PhillyVoice Staff

James Guillory/USA TODAY Sports

The Flyers added some veteran depth to their blue line with Friday's deadline deal for Erik Johnson.

The Flyers added some veteran depth and Stanley Cup-winning experience to their blueline on Friday, acquiring defenseman Erik Johnson from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick as the clock ticks down to the 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman was first to report the deal and with Philadelphia's return coming from fellow insider Jeff Marek. Both teams have since confirmed the trade.

TRADE ALERT: We have acquired defenseman @6ErikJohnson from Buffalo in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft. #LetsGoFlyers

🔗: https://t.co/jzsY3bULdM pic.twitter.com/flIdv85HTJ
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 8, 2024

Johnson, 35, is a seasoned skater of 16 years, having spent the bulk of them as a regular for the Colorado Avalanche, which culminated in their run to the Stanley Cup in 2022 when he put eight goals, 25 points, and a plus-22 rating while skating an average of 17:17 per night.

He also overlapped with the end of general manager Danny Brière's playing career in Colorado in the 2014-15 season, during a rebuilding process for the Avs under Joe Sakic that Brière cited as an influence on his rising front office tenure.

Johnson signed with Buffalo on a one-year, $3.25 million deal in free agency this past summer and skated 50 games at an average of 13:48 per night, but put up a struggling line of three goals, no assists, and a minus-5 rating in what's becoming yet another lost season for the Sabres.

Brière mentioned during his availability on Thursday, after the Sean Walker trade and Nick Seeler extension, that the Flyers would be on the lookout for any deals that could help the team currently in a playoff hunt here and now, but only if it made sense and not at the risk of any major assets for the future.

"We're not gonna give away assets just for the fun of it either," the Flyers GM said. "If there's something that makes sense, we'll act on it."

And with Seeler out for a bit after blocking a shot against the Blues earlier in the week, going for Johnson at the expense of a middle-round pick for a bit of insurance and wisdom seemed to have made enough of it.