Flyers Place Ryan Johansen on Waivers for Contract Termination

The Flyers were set to face many questions surrounding how the roster would be finalized ahead of the 2024-25 season. On Tuesday, they appeared to provide an answer to one of those questions. Kind of.

Ryan Johansen was placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract due to a material breach, the team announced on Tuesday afternoon. Johansen has one year remaining on his contract, with the Flyers assuming $4 million of the $8 million cap hit. The other half of the salary is retained by the Nashville Predators from trading Johansen to Colorado in June 2023. 

Johansen, 32, was acquired by the Flyers in March in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche along with a 2025 first-round pick in exchange for Sean Walker. Johansen had played in 63 games with Colorado in the 2023-24 season, scoring 13 goals and 23 points. Johansen never played a game for the Flyers for the remainder of the season, citing an injury, which is reportedly the reason for this action. 

While the contract termination will become official on Wednesday when Johansen clears waivers, the process is far from finished. Johansen has 60 days to file a grievance regarding the termination and is expected to do so. The Flyers had no further comment within the release, but it is reported they are prepared to present their case if requested.