Erik Johnson won’t itch about being a healthy scratch. You might think the fact Johnson won’t always be active for the Avalanche is a bug. No. 6 sees it as a feature.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Erik Johnson is heading back to the Colorado Avalanche, where he spent 13 of his 17 NHL seasons, and where he won a Stanley Cup in 2022.

Johnson, who was kept around as a veteran presence on the blue line, is getting reunited with Colorado for another playoff push.