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Jonas Johansson

Pavel Francouz Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Colorado Avalanche returned Jonas Johansson to the minor leagues earlier today, suggesting that Pavel Francouz was ready to return to the active roster. Indeed, Francouz no longer appears on injured reserve and should be ready to dress this evening against the Florida Panthers.

It’s been nearly a month since Francouz last appeared for the Avalanche, stopping 26 of 28 shots on December 13 against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 32-year-old goaltender had posted a .913 save percentage in nine games through the early part of the season, serving as the primary backup for Alexandar Georgiev.

Without him, it’s been Georgiev every night for the Avalanche, with Johansson only playing 23 minutes in relief on New Year’s Eve. The 29 appearances from Georgiev so far have him closing in on his career-high of 34, set in 2019-20 with the New York Rangers.

With that in mind, it’s a good time for Francouz to get back in the mix and start to split the load as Colorado pushes toward the trade deadline. The club sits in fifth place in the Central Division with a 20-15-3 record, after being decimated by injuries through the first part of the year.

Denis Malgin, the latest of those injuries, was called week-to-week by head coach Jared Bednar earlier today. Peter Baugh of The Athletic relays other updates from the coach, noting that Bowen Byram and Josh Manson are also skating but have no firm timetable yet.

Avalanche Recall Charles Hudon And Jonas Johansson

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The Avalanche have brought up a pair of players in advance of tonight’s game against Arizona as the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Charles Hudon and goaltender Jonas Johansson have been recalled from AHL Colorado.  The Avs had two open roster spots so no corresponding roster moves needed to be made to make these recalls.

Hudon is in his first season with the Avalanche and has gotten into seven games with the big club this season while on emergency recall.  He was held off the scoresheet in each of those but did log nearly 12 minutes per contest.  The 28-year-old has been productive with the Eagles this season with ten goals and eight assists in 22 games.

As for Johansson, he’s covering for Pavel Francouz with Peter Baugh of The Athletic relaying (Twitter link) that Francouz is dealing with a lower-body injury.  Johansson, who has twice been claimed off waivers already this season, has yet to see any NHL action in 2022-23 but has done well in the minors, posting a 2.15 GAA with a .929 SV% in 15 contests.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Jonas Johansson

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The Colorado Avalanche have announced that goaltender Jonas Johansson has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.

The move comes after Avalanche backup netminder Pavel Francouz secured his team a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers last night. As no corresponding move was announced regarding the Avalanche’s goalies, this recall adds a third name to Colorado’s situation in the crease.

The 27-year-old Johansson earns this recall on the back of his impressive AHL performance so far this season. Through 12 games Johansson has a .929 save percentage and 2.10 goals-against-average.

Over the past two seasons Johansson’s career has had quite the journey. He was traded to the Avalanche from the Buffalo Sabres in 2021, when the Avalanche were in desperate need of a goalie. The team surrendered a sixth-round pick to acquire him, and then lost him on waivers to the Florida Panthers in December of that year.

After a two-game stint in Florida that included a disastrous start against the Montreal Canadiens in their final game of the regular season, where he surrendered ten goals, Johansson hit unrestricted free agency this past summer.

He was signed to a one-year, $750k deal with a hefty $350k AHL salary, with the idea of him playing in a tandem in the AHL with Justus Annunen.

That idea was nearly blown up after the Arizona Coyotes claimed Johansson off of waivers in late September, but nearly two weeks later the Avalanche were able to re-acquire him after he was waived by Arizona.

It’s unclear at this moment if this recall is motivated by any injury developments to either Francouz or Alexandar Georgiev.

Nicolas Meloche Clears Waivers, Assigned To AHL

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Oct 12: While Johansson was claimed as expected, Meloche was able to clear waivers and was quickly assigned to the Wranglers.

Oct 11: Two more players have been placed on waivers today, including one that was only claimed a few weeks ago. Jonas Johansson finds himself back on the wire, as the Arizona Coyotes claimed Connor Ingram yesterday, and now have too many goaltenders in the organization. This waiver-hopping always seemed a likely scenario for the Coyotes, as they try to find the best possible backup (or at least the one with the most potential) for Karel Vejmelka.

Johansson will be joined on waivers by Nicolas Meloche, who has been waived by the Calgary Flames. The Flames had Michael Stone still skating with the team today despite not having an NHL contract, which is potentially why Meloche now finds himself on the way out. If he clears, he can be assigned to the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL to continue his career in the minor leagues. (Update: A few minutes later, Stone officially signed with the Flames)

For the goaltender though, things will be a little different. If no one puts in a claim on Johansson he can go to the Tucson Roadrunners, though things are already quite crowded there. The Colorado Avalanche, who he was taken from, could reclaim the netminder and send him to the minor leagues if they are the only team that puts in a claim. That seems a likely scenario at this point, given Johansson’s relationship with the organization and Colorado’s need for additional depth at the position.

Colorado Avalanche Claim Jonas Johansson

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As expected, the Colorado Avalanche have reclaimed goaltender Jonas Johansson off waivers today, getting him back from the Arizona Coyotes after they took him for a little less than two weeks. If the Avalanche were the only team to put in a claim, they will be able to assign him directly to the minor leagues. Given their place in the waiver priority – second last, only ahead of the Florida Panthers – that seems likely.

Johansson, 27, did actually spend some time with the Panthers last season but has expressed a clear desire to stay with Colorado, the team he keeps signing with. Goaltending depth is difficult to come by, but it’s not like the 27-year-old has even been very effective.

Through 32 NHL appearances, Johansson has posted an .883 save percentage, losing 17 games in the process. His career has been consumed by waiver claims the last few years and he hasn’t played much, hitting the ice just 28 times over the past two seasons at all combined levels.

The claim actually kind of helps the Coyotes, as there was about to be a logjam at the goaltending position in the minor leagues. They likely would have had to find a place to loan Johansson to keep him playing. He won’t need that in Colorado where there is much less depth, with just four other goaltenders signed in the entire organization.

More Injury Updates: McAvoy, Clutterbuck, Devils, Coyotes

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It became apparent over the offseason that injuries were going to be a serious issue for the Boston Bruins this year, at least at the beginning of the season. While there have been positive developments on some, the same can’t be said for All-Star-caliber defenseman Charlie McAvoy. According to The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter, there’s no updated timeline on McAvoy’s return, meaning he’s still expected to rejoin the team around Thanksgiving. He is doing some shooting practice, Porter notes, but he’s yet to take any slapshots in practice.

McAvoy had an arthroscopic procedure on his left shoulder back in late May/early June. He could miss around 20 games if the timeline holds true.

  • The New York Islanders announced today that forward Cal Clutterbuck has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to September 26. He’s eligible to be activated at any time, and he’s been classified as day-to-day by the team as he deals with soreness. Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said today he doesn’t anticipate Clutterbuck being out for a significant period of time, and he’s been skating on his own.
  • Some unfortunate news for New Jersey Devils fans: captain Nico Hischier has been placed on injured reserve, along with forward Tyce Thompson, after the former left a preseason game against the Canadiens on September 26 with what was classified as “cramping” at the time. His status is now week-to-week with a hamstring injury. Additionally, the team has moved goalie Jonathan Bernier to long-term injured reserve as he continues to recover from a hip procedure last year that ended his season prematurely.
  • We have some clarity on why the Arizona Coyotes put in a waiver claim for Connor Ingram today after claiming another goalie just days prior. Jonas Johansson, who the team claimed off waivers from the Avalanche on September 30, has been moved to injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. As expected, defenseman Jakob Chychrun is also on injured reserve as he’s still recovering from an ankle injury suffered at the end of last season.

Evening Notes: Coyotes Goaltending, Angello, Bloom, Raty

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As this offseason was wrapping up with most team’s rosters relatively clear, the Arizona Coyotes and GM Bill Armstrong made it known that the team was still looking for goaltending with all options, internal and external, on the table. To that end, the team had signed journeyman Christopher Gibson to a PTO ahead of training camp, but released him a couple of days ago. A day later (yesterday), the team claimed another journeyman netminder in that of Jonas Johansson off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche. Should Johansson stick with the Coyotes, it would be his fourth team in three seasons.

Earlier today, Armstrong talked with PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan about Johansson and where the team’s goaltending situation stands. Armstrong said Johansson is expected to be on the ice at the team’s practice facility tomorrow and they will get as many looks as possible at the goaltender during their final three preseason games. The GM added that they will continue to monitor the goalie market and waiver wire going forward. Johansson could have a chance as the Coyotes’ primary backup to Karel Vejmelka, a role that seemed destined for either Ivan Prosvetov, who was assigned to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners earlier this evening, or the recently-signed Jon Gillies.

  • St. Louis Blues forward Anthony Angello left tonight’s game with an apparent injury and will not return to the game, the team announced. The injury is a tough break for Angello, 26, who is in camp with the Blues after signing a one-year, two-way deal with them earlier this summer. Angello spent his entire career to-date in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, spending time in both the NHL and AHL. It’s unclear how severe the injury is and no timetable has been announced yet, but any significant absence would be bad news for the former Cornell University standout who could have a chance to latch on with St. Louis as a quality depth option.
  • Buffalo Sabres prospect Josh Bloom took another intriguing step in his development, having been named Captain of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, the team announced. While the honor doesn’t necessarily develop any on-ice skills for the 19-year-old, his ability to be a leader on his team does seem to bode well for his off-ice development and his future in the NHL. The winger had 30 goals and 31 assists in 67 games last year for Saginaw. Mitchell Smith and Dean Loukus will serve as full-time Alternate Captains for the Spirit, while a third alternate will be split between T-Bone Codd and Brayden Hislop.
  • Earlier today when New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert met the media, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz asked the new bench boss about top prospect Aatu Raty, who has impressed so far in Islanders camp. Specifically, Kurz wondered if Raty, who is a natural center, could be a fit on the wing, to which Lambert replied that the 19-year-old is a center only. This would seem to indicate that despite his strong impression, Raty is unlikely to make the Islanders opening night roster, given the team’s strong depth down the middle with Brock Nelson, Mathew Barzal, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Casey Cizikas. Considering the prospect’s struggles in his first full season in the Finnish Liiga, which contributed to his draft stock slipping, it might make sense that Raty doesn’t spend his first full season in North America in the NHL. However, if he can produce similarly to how he did last season with Jukurit (40 points in 41 games), it is possible Raty could force his way into the NHL sooner rather than later.

Arizona Coyotes Claim Jonas Johansson

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The Arizona Coyotes were waiting to see which goaltenders would end up on waivers at the end of training camp, and they’ve found one they like (for now). Jonas Johansson has been claimed off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The other players from yesterday have all cleared.

Johansson, 27, had signed back with the Avalanche after playing this waiver merry-go-round last year, but will have to pack his things again. After being claimed by the Florida Panthers on December 13, 2021, he ended up playing in just two games for his new organization. He was being paid to stay in the NHL and serve as a backup, but the Panthers would routinely bring up Spencer Knight to actually play the games.

That’s sort of been the theme of Johansson’s career to this point. Since first being brought up in the 2019-20 season, he has just 32 appearances in the NHL, and no more than nine for a single team in a single season. Now, even as he goes to Arizona, he likely can’t unpack.

There’s no guarantee that Johansson is on the Coyotes’ roster by the time the season rolls around. As training camps close and roster crunches occur, they could just as easily select another netminder off of waivers. If he ends up back on, the Avalanche would have a chance to bring Johansson back and send him directly to the minor leagues, as long as they were the only team to put in a claim.

For now, he is part of the Coyotes organization and will potentially slot in as the team’s second NHL netminder. While many assumed Ivan Prosvetov would assume that role, he is still waiver-exempt and can play big minutes at the AHL level to continue his development, if they wish.

Waivers: 09/29/22

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Waivers will officially open today, meaning teams around the league can start cutting eligible players with the purpose of sending them to minor league clubs. While the full list will come out at 2 pm ET, some have already started announcing their initial placements. You can see all of the day’s cuts here, but we’ll also keep track of just the waiver portion in this post.

Arizona Coyotes

F Michael Carcone
F Jean-Sebastien Dea

Colorado Avalanche

F Charles Hudon
F Spencer Smallman
D Andreas Englund
D Brad Hunt
D Joshua Jacobs
G Jonas Johansson

Los Angeles Kings

F Austin Wagner

New York Islanders

F Richard Panik
G Kenneth Appleby

New York Rangers

F C.J. Smith
F Turner Elson

This page will be updated throughout the day

Colorado Avalanche Re-Sign Jonas Johansson

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The Colorado Avalanche have some question marks in net even after acquiring Alexandar Georgiev, meaning they need some depth at the position. That will come in the form of Jonas Johansson, who has re-signed for one year. He’ll be on a two-way contract that carries an NHL salary of $750K and an AHL salary of $350K.

After losing Johansson on waivers last December, the Avalanche had to watch as he basically became a practice goaltender for the Florida Panthers organization. The 26-year-old played just two games for Florida and one for their AHL affiliate during the five months he was with the team, meaning he will be a bit out of practice by the time he gets back in game action next season.

That is, of course, if they’re able to get him through waivers this time, which isn’t a given after his experience in 2021-22. He certainly won’t be staying with the Avalanche NHL roster though, unless there’s an injury, as Georgiev and Pavel Francouz are locked in as the everyday tandem.

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