Colorado Avalanche sign defenseman Jack Johnson to one-year contract

The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenseman Jack Johnson to a one-year contract, The Athletic‘s Peter Baugh reported Sunday morning.

Johnson, 36, appeared in 83 games split between the Chicago Blackhawks and Avalanche during the 2022–23 regular season. He racked up two goals and eight points while averaging 19:09 per night.

The six-foot-one defenseman, who shoots left, did not record a point while averaging 13:54 in three games with the Avalanche during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

According to Baugh, Johnson’s new contract with the Avalanche carries a $775,000 NHL cap hit.

The #Avs are bringing back Jack Johnson, per a source. One year, $775,000.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) July 2, 2023

Johnson won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Avalanche in 2022. He subsequently signed a one-year contract with the Blackhawks but appeared in just 58 games with the team before being sent back to the Avs ahead of the trade deadline in exchange for Andreas Englund.

The Carolina Hurricanes originally selected Johnson in the first round (No. 3 overall) of the 2005 NHL Draft. The Indianapolis product never played for the Hurricanes before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings alongside Oleg Tverdovsky in 2006 in exchange for Eric Belanger and Tim Gleason.

Johnson spent parts of six seasons with the Kings before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2012 as part of a deal that sent Jeff Carter the other way. While Carter won two Stanley Cups in L.A., Johnson spent seven seasons with the Blue Jackets and continued to ply his trade as a top-four NHL defenseman.

From there, Johnson made brief stops with the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers before joining the Avalanche in 2021. He appeared in 13 games with the Avalanche during their run to the Stanley Cup in the 2022 playoffs.

Through 1,107 career games with the Kings, Blue Jackets, Penguins, Rangers, Avalanche, and Blackhawks, Johnson has collected 74 goals and 320 points. He’s added five goals and 21 points in 46 playoff contests.