Trade Deadline day has just about wrapped up, and the Flyers have capped off their day with a smaller, but undoubtedly weighty, move.
With Scott Laughton officially sent off to the Leafs, and the market for expensive big-name defensemen closing up quickly and Rasmus Ristolainen looking like he would indeed be staying in Philadelphia to close out the season, it looked like things might just be wrapped up early, but just after the 3:00 deadline closed, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Flyers had sent Erik Johnson back to Colorado.
Feel-great story: hearing Colorado is bringing back Erik Johnson
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 7, 2025
And while this might not be a move with massive implications on the Flyers’ on-ice situation — Johnson has only played in 22 games for the Flyers this season, and hasn’t played in just about a month, since February 8 against the Penguins — it’s a meaningful move for Johnson himself.