First-round pick gets traded and lands on waivers all in one hour!

While Max Comtois (CAR), Sam Gagner (EDM), Vinni Lettieri (MIN), Jake Lucchini (MIN) and Guillaume Brisebois (VAN) all cleared waivers on Wednesday, more names were added to the wire amidst a busy trade day.

Will Lockwood (FLA), Jacob Moverare (LA) and teammates Jaret Anderson-Dolan (LA), and Ryan Johansen (PHI) have been placed on the wire and what has stunned many is that the latter has already landed on waivers less than an hour after being traded to Philly.

The newly acquired Flyers was part of a trade that saw Philadelphia send defenseman Sean Walker to the Colorado Avalanche. Along with Johansen, the Flyers also received a 2025 first-round selection in the deal, while sending a 2026 fifth-rounder back to the Avalanche. The Avs’ 2025 first-round pick for Walker is top-10 protected. This means if the Flyers get a top-10 pick in next year’s NHL Draft, the first-round pick to the Avs will move to 2026.

Johansen has tallied 13 goals and 23 points in 63 games this season. He is in the seventh season of an eight-year, $64 million contract with an average annual value of $8 million, though the Nashville Predators retained half of that in last year’s transaction with Colorado.

At a $4 million price tag, he remains an expensive add-on to Philadelphia.

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