Flyers Place Ryan Johansen on Unconditional Waivers, Citing “Material Breach”
The Philadelphia Flyers have placed forward Ryan Johansen on unconditional waivers, citing a “material breach” of his contract. The decision comes after Johansen, 32, was traded to the Flyers from the Colorado Avalanche in March but never played a game for the team due to an injury.
According to his agent, Kurt Overhardt, Johansen’s injury is “severe” and requires “extensive surgery,” which has been scheduled. Overhardt released a statement saying that Johansen has worked in good faith with the Flyers’ medical staff and authorized third-party physicians, but the team’s attempt to terminate his contract is “disappointing.”
The Flyers have 60 days to file a grievance via the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA), which Johansen is expected to do. The NHLPA has also released a statement, saying that the Flyers’ actions raise significant concerns and that they are currently reviewing the matter.
The end result could be a negotiated settlement between the two sides. Johansen has one year left on his current contract, which carries an $8 million salary cap hit. His 2024-25 salary will be split between the Flyers and the Nashville Predators, who agreed to retain 50% of his contract after trading him to the Avalanche in June 2023.
Flyers Didn’t Expect Johansen to Return from Injury
Two weeks after the trade, Flyers general manager Danny Briere told Philly Hockey Now that Johansen was in the process of rehabbing the injury and that the news came as a surprise to the team, considering he had played a game with the Avalanche just two days prior to the deal.
The Flyers waived Johansen after the trade and planned to demote him to their AHL affiliate in the Lehigh Valley, but a reported hip injury prevented the move. At his season-ending news conference in April, Briere said the team didn’t expect Johansen to be back and that Johansen didn’t think he’d be able to play again.
The situation has raised questions about the Flyers’ handling of the situation and whether they were aware of Johansen’s injury before trading for him. The NHLPA will likely investigate the matter further to determine whether the Flyers’ actions were in breach of Johansen’s contract.