Report: League Rules in Favor of Flyers Regarding Johansen’s Contract Termination

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on Tuesday that the league is ruling in favor of the Philadelphia Flyers in an arbitration case against center Ryan Johansen.

Sources say an arbitrator has ruled in favour of the Philadelphia Flyers in a grievance filed by the NHLPA following the termination of Ryan Johansen’s contract in August, 2024. The Flyers cited a “material breach” as grounds for termination.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) August 12, 2025

The Flyers acquired Johansen from the Avalanche in March 2024 along with a first-round draft pick for defenseman Sean Walker. They quickly sent Johansen down to the AHL, but the veteran refused to report, citing injuries as the reason why. He was shutdown for the remainder of the season before Philadelphia terminated his contract over the summer.

Represented by the NHLPA, Johansen filed a grievance against the team for terminating his deal. He was owed $8 million, split between the Nashville Predators and the Flyers, for the 2024-25 season. Even the Preds, who had retained half the salary before sending him to Colorado in 2023, were off the hook for that cap hit last season.

The Flyers organization did not believe that Johansen was truly injured and cited a material breach of his contract. He played in all 63 games with the Avalanche before the trade and even took part in morning skate at Ball Arena moments before the trade was announced. They felt that he used the injury as an excuse to avoid reporting to Lehigh Valley and play in the AHL.

Nothing has been announced by the team or the player’s representation just yet. But it does seem like it’s steering in the direction of the Flyers not owing Johansen anything from that last year of his contract. He would’ve been a UFA this summer either way.