The Colorado Avalanche are not expected to re-sign veteran defenseman Erik Johnson, multiple media outlets reported on Thursday.
Johnson, 35, is the longest tenured member of the Avalanche after being acquired from the St. Louis Blues ahead of the 2011 NHL trade deadline. He would hit the open market on July 1.
Johnson recorded eight assists in 63 games in 2022-23 while playing in the last season of a seven-year, $42 million contract.
A Stanley Cup winner with the Avalanche in 2022, Johnson totaled 337 points (88 goals, 249 assists) in 920 career games with St. Louis and Colorado. He was selected by the Blues with the top overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft.
–Field Level Media