Ryan Johansen's Tough Week Continues

First he was traded, then minutes later he was put on waivers, then he went unclaimed by all other 31 teams, and then he was sent down to the AHL. But beleaguered Philadelphia Flyers forward Ryan Johansen's tough week hasn't gotten any better, as he's now dealing with some unknown injuries. 

It appears that Ryan Johansen is dealing with injuries and it is still unclear if he'll report to LV - something seemingly out of left field.

Johansen is a buyout candidate this summer (if healthy). Injured players cannot be bought out.#letsgoflyers

— Anthony Di Marco (@ADiMarco25) March 9, 2024

Insider Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period reports that it's unclear if Johansen will even report to the Philadelphia Flyers AHL affiliate at Lehigh Valley, and he calls this whole development something that came from "out of left field."

Johansen has struggled this season after having undergone leg surgery last year when he was with the Nashville Predators. He had 13 goals and 23 points in 63 games for the Colorado Avalanche this year, and his time on ice was down to a 12-year low of 13:39. He's only two years removed from a 26-goal season, and in fact he's scored at least 60 points five times in his 12 seasons before this one. 

There's no word if the new injury issues are related to the leg problems of last season.

The 31-year-old former top-4 pick in the NHL Draft (2010) still has another year left on his $4 million deal, and is a candidate to be bought out, as Di Marco notes. 

Flyers GM Danny Briere tried to flip Johansen before Friday's deadline after the trade on Thursday, but with no luck. He admits that Johansen is simply not in the Flyers plans going forward. “I’ll be honest, probably not,” said Briere.

Photo: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports