It may have ended quietly, with a simple one-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres, but the end of Erik Johnson’s time with the Colorado Avalanche signified the end of an era. The big defenseman was dubbed “Condor” for his size at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, and his work ethic endeared him to the Avalanche faithful.
Johnson fought through everything. From decent seasons to absolutely rotten ones, through injuries and finally hoisting the Stanley Cup – Johnson was an enduring piece for Colorado through thick and thin. Even though there were some short-lived rumors that Johnson may have been considering retirement, Johnson just didn’t fit in Colorado’s plans moving forward. That’s the nature of the NHL and salary constraints, but it doesn’t detract from Johnson’s time with the team.
Building Block for Colorado’s Defense
Johnson started his career with the St. Louis Blues after being selected with the first overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He lasted just a little more than two seasons there, getting traded to the Avalanche around the trade deadline in 2011. The move was a bit of a surprise for the Blues, who also got forward Chris Stewart and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk in the deal, along with a second-round pick. The Avs also got forward Jay McClement and a first-round pick.
The move was a big one for Colorado. The defensive corps was a mess back then, as it gave up a league-high 288 goals in that 2010-11 season – a whopping 19 more than the next closest team. The Avs made the playoffs just once in Johnson’s first six-plus seasons with the club – but he proved to be a vital anchor on the blue line as the team struggled to find its place. He just had to be patient.
Related: Sabres’ Ideal Free-Agent Target is Erik Johnson
Colorado drafted Gabriel Landeskog with the second overall pick in Johnson’s first offseason with the team. The Avalanche then got Nathan MacKinnon with the first overall pick two years later and Mikko Rantanen with the 10th overall pick two seasons after that. That set up the offense and moves to get the likes of Devon Toews and Samuel Girard started to set up the defensive corps. Add in draft picks of Cale Makar and Bowen Byram, and Johnson was no longer the lone reliable stalwart at the back.
Johnson’s Emergence With Avalanche
Johnson had some of his better offensive seasons in those first couple of campaigns with the Blues, but his time in Colorado was defined by his strength and physicality on the ice. He still flashed his two-way ability – behind a powerful shot and quarterbacking the power play in his early seasons in Colorado. He also used his massive reach and size to be a force in front of the net and along the boards.
Johnson faced some injury struggles – he had four seasons in Colorado where he played less than 50 games – but he gobbled up a lot of minutes every time he suited up. From 2014 to 2018, Johnson averaged 23:41 of ice time per game, and it’s important to note that some of those teams were atrocious. In the three seasons from 2014 to 2017, won just 100 games. Total. That includes the rock-bottom, 22-win campaign in Jared Bednar’s rocky first year as head coach in 2016-17. However, Johnson remained diligent with the team.
While he had to wait a bit to be a part of the solid defensive unit Avs fans have come to appreciate over the past few seasons, Johnson became the team’s rock at the back – through more than just his play. He signed two extensions with the Avalanche during his time in Colorado, and neither of those decisions came when the Avalanche were a particularly threatening team. He believed in the Avalanche through some of the team’s toughest seasons in Colorado, and the team repaid him with a championship roster.
Johnson Finds Glory Through Patience
The culmination of all those seasons in Colorado was the 2022 Cup victory, and it was very apparent what Johnson meant to his teammates on the day they finally hoisted the Cup. Johnson was the first guy Landeskog sought to hand the Cup over to when the team won the prize in 2022. Years earlier, Landeskog notoriously told Johnson that he planned to give it to the defenseman right away, should they win hockey’s top prize together.
That Cup-winning season was one of Johnson’s finest. He played in 77 games and only scored eight goals and 25 points, but his plus-22 rating in plus-minus was a career-high. He also added a goal in four assists while appearing in all 20 games of Colorado’s playoff run – where he was also plus-10. He was easily the longest-tenured Avalanche player on the club that season, coming there a few months before Landeskog.
The Avalanche moved to Colorado from Quebec 27 seasons ago, and Johnson played in 13 of those seasons. Only four players have appeared in more games with the Avalanche than Johnson’s 717 with the club. Three of them – Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk, and Adam Foote – have their numbers retired in the rafters of Ball Arena. The fourth is Landeskog, who will almost certainly have a similar ceremony in the future.
Related: Colorado Avalanche Might Miss Johnson the Most
Johnson might not have the flashy offensive statistics of some of his teammates during his time in Colorado. He was picked for just one All-Star Game (in 2015) but withdrew due to an injury. However, he’s never been a guy hunting individual accolades. Johnson was always soft-spoken but spoke volumes. He emerged as a long-time fan favorite amongst Avalanche fans, and his time in Colorado will leave a lasting impression on them. He might not be on the Avs roster anymore, but there will certainly be Johnson jerseys spotted on fans walking the concourse at Ball Arena for years to come.
