The Toronto Maple Leafs should consider taking a flyer on Ryan Johansen after the Philadelphia Flyers placed him on waivers.
According to ESPN, the Flyers placed Johansen on waivers to terminate his contract due to a material breach. While the nature of that material breach is unknown, the fact is that Johansen is set to become a free agent.
Now, Johansen comes with a list of issues. In particular, Johansen avoided playing for the Flyers following a deadline trade last season from Colorado. Johansen claimed that he was injured, prompting Philadelphia’s team doctors to examine his situation more closely.
When it was determined that Johansen had a hip injury, the Flyers could not send him down to the AHL. Instead, the club put him on IR as Johansen tried to rehab. The season ended and Johansen never hit the ice for Philly.
But now that Johansen’s onerous contract stands to be terminated, the 32-year-old may still look to get his NHL career back on track. If that’s indeed the case, he could be motivated to get back in shape and prove he’s still got what it takes to be a full-time NHLer.
That’s where taking a flyer on Johansen could prove a potentially profitable proposition. If Johansen returns to form, the Toronto Maple Leafs could have a solid third-line center. Johansen brings scoring and veteran depth.
However, Johansen is a major reclamation project at this point. It’s unclear what sort of issues he’s going through. Moreover, there’s no telling as of now, why the Flyers terminated his contract. Still, this situation could work out as Corey Perry did in Edmonton.
After Perry was let go by the Chicago Blackhawks, the Oilers took a flyer on Perry. He became a key part of the team’s bottom six, helping the club secure a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
Could Ryan Johansen turn into Corey Perry? Perhaps. Ultimately, the Toronto Maple Leafs lose nothing by giving him a shot.
The Cost of Adding Ryan Johansen
The cost of adding Ryan Johansen to the Leafs bottom six should be nothing more than a one-year, league-minimum deal. Perhaps a PTO could potentially get the wheels moving.
On the whole, signing Johansen to a one-year, league-minimum deal could become a “show me” contract, allowing Johansen to showcase what he’s got left if anything at all.
This idea is reminiscent of the Alex Galchenyuk deal in 2020. Similarly, the Leafs took a flyer this summer on Alex Nylander.
So, why can’t the Toronto Maple Leafs do the same with Ryan Johansen?
The worst thing that could happen is that Johansen has got nothing left and gets waived again. Perhaps someone else might pick him up and give him a try.
The good news is that with a tough-love coach in Craig Berube, Johansen may find the structure he needs to bounce back. While these thoughts are all major ifs, contending teams like the Leafs need to spot value where others may have overlooked.