Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson (lower body) will return to action on Monday against the Calgary Flames. The veteran blue-liner has been sidelined for three games due to a lower-body injury. Keaton Middleton has filled in for Johnson and will now exit the lineup. Johnson has picked up only a handful of points this season and should remain a free agent in fantasy leagues. Over 28 appearances with the Avalanche and Philadelphia Flyers, Johnson has recorded one goal and two assists with 48 blocks.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson will sit out Tuesday's Game 1 against the Kraken as a healthy scratch. The veteran was limited to only eight points in 63 regular-season games and failed to score a single goal while recording 121 hits and 102 blocks. He will be replaced in the lineup by Jack Johnson, who tallied similar numbers during the regular season, going for eight points, 117 hits and 127 blocks. There's not enough room for both players in the lineup, as Cale Makar (lower body) and Josh Manson (lower body) return to action.
Erik Johnson Collects Two Points In Avalanche Victory
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson produced two points in a 7-5 victory, handing Philadelphia their ninth straight loss Monday. Johnson, who has had several injury plagued seasons in recent years, has played in all 22 Avalanche contests so far. He's registered three goals and six helpers while averaging over 18 minutes of ice time per game for Colorado. At 33 years old, the Minnesota native recently played in his 800th career game. However, despite being a solid veteran defenseman, Johnson doesn't make much of an impact in fantasy hockey.
Life got a little bit easier for the Colorado Avalanche with the upcoming expansion draft set to fill the roster of the new Seattle Kraken club, which begins play in 2021-22. Veteran defenseman Erik Johnson agreed to waive his no-movement clause, which allows the club to leave him unprotected during the expansion process. The 33-year-old played in just four games this past season due to concussion symptoms. Johnson has two years remaining on his current contract with a $6 million cap hit each season. That makes it unlikely that he'll be taken by the Kraken in the expansion draft and allows the Avalanche to protect an extra player who is more likely to figure into the club's long-term plans.
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