'True leader' Erik Johnson back with the Avalanche, accepting of new role

Erik Johnson is a rare breed. You don't have to tell Avalanche fans that, though. They know.

And guess what? He's back.

"It's unbelievable," Johnson said of returning to Denver. "I'm super grateful to be back. Super grateful to the Kroenke's and (Sakic) and (MacFarland) for believing in me to come back again."

The fans are certainly happy to have him back in an Avalanche uniform. The mere mention of Johnson's return to Colorado on the jumbotron prior to Saturday's matchup with the Maple Leafs got some of the biggest cheers of the night from fans.

And he didn't even play in the game. That could be the case a fair bit during this return stint in Denver, but he's OK with that.

When Johnson last played in Colorado back during the 2022-23 season, he was a regular every night on the blue line. The now 36-year-old suited up for 63 games in the regular season, only missing 19 because he broke his ankle in February of that year. Since leaving the Avalanche he's taken on a slightly different role in Buffalo and then Philadelphia.

Johnson was dealt to the rebuilding Flyers at the trade deadline last season and re-signed with them over the summer. His role changed a fair bit this past season. Instead of being a regular in the lineup every night, he was often a scratch watching from the press box. That didn't bother him.

"Didn't play a ton this year in (Philadelphia)," Johnson said. "Loved my role, accepted it, enjoyed it every day, but I'm willing to do anything here in the same role, or play five, 10, 15 minutes, whatever you need for me, I'm going to do it."

"Shovel snow between whistles, I'll do that too. Whatever you need."

That's what makes Johnson a rare breed. He was the first overall pick in the NHL draft back in 2006. He's been an Olympian, an All-Star, and a Stanley Cup champion who could one day see his jersey raised to the rafters of Ball Arena when he does call it a career. Yet, he has no ego.

The transition from an everyday player to a role player is not one every player is willing to accept, much less one with Johnson's resume. Yet he's had no issue accepting it. Why is that?

"I looked at it like I was fortunate to sign in (Philadelphia) because it extended my career and that was the role that they wanted me to do," Johnson said. "I just looked at it as a huge opportunity that I still get to play in the NHL...so I looked at it as a huge positive that they value me to be here and not even play."

The Avalanche, especially on this current homestand, looked like a Stanley Cup contender. The Flyers are not that. They're a rebuilding team trying to rebuild their team and perhaps more importantly, their culture. If you're going to do that, you need veterans that can show the young players how to be a pro.

That's Johnson.

"They wanted to get their younger guys looks and I was totally fine with that," Johnson said. "(I) tried to help them the best I could, be a shoulder they could lean on at any time, mess around with them, have a good time, and just be one of the guys, so I loved my role. I love (Tortorella). I love the whole staff there; they were great to me. Every day I woke up there, I loved being there."

And they loved him.

The Denver Gazette spoke to someone in the Flyers organization about Johnson and what he brought to their team every day. They asked to remain anonymous and didn't say a ton, but what they did say says a lot about why the team wanted to bring him back this past season.

"(He was a) true leader for (the young players) both on and off the ice," they said.

And that's one of the reasons he's back with the Avalanche. Whether it's a young or veteran group, you can never have enough leaders, especially ones that are eager to accept any role you give them.