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The Philadelphia Flyers placed forward Ryan Johansen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract due to a “material breach.”
“The Flyers will have no further comment at this time,” the team said following Tuesday’s terse announcement on social media.
Johansen, 32, never appeared in a game for Philadelphia after arriving in a March 6 trade with Colorado that sent defenseman Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth-round draft pick to the Avalanche. The Flyers also received a conditional first-round pick in 2025.
The Flyers initially placed Johansen on waivers on the same day he was traded to Philadelphia and tried to assign him to the American Hockey League but were unable to do so because he was injured.
Johansen’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, expressed his disappointment with the Flyers’ move and said he has been in contact with the NHL Players’ Association.
“Ryan Johansen has a severe 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,” Overhardt said in a statement. “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.”
In an email to The Associated Press, the NHLPA said: “The Philadelphia Flyers’ actions raise significant concerns. We are currently reviewing the matter.”
Flyers general manager Danny Briere addressed the unusual situation in a March 17 interview with Philly Hockey Now, saying it was “fair to say” that the team was caught off guard by the hip injury.
“He claimed to be injured when we traded for him, so we had him see the doctors,” Briere said. “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.”
Johansen was set to carry a salary cap hit of $8 million in 2024-25 before becoming an unrestricted free agent after the season.
He posted 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 63 games with Colorado last season. He has 578 points (202 goals, 376 assists) in 905 career games with the Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets and Avalanche. Columbus drafted him with the fourth overall pick in 2010.
Johansen will have 60 days to decide whether to file a grievance over the contract termination with the NHL Players Association, according to The Athletic, which reported that “he’s likely to do so.”
Field Level Media contributed to this report.
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