Erik Johnson

1.3.1. St. Louis Blues

Upon signing with the St. Louis Blues, Johnson attended the team's Development Camp and the 2007 Prospects Tournament. He made his NHL debut and scored his first career NHL goal on October 6, 2007, in a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. This goal, scored on a power play with 7:17 remaining in the third period, proved to be the game-winning goal. After playing just three games with the Blues, Johnson sustained a slight bone fracture in his foot, leading to his reassignment to the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League (AHL) for a conditioning stint.

Johnson rejoined the Blues on November 7, 2007, but initially struggled to secure a consistent spot in the lineup. However, once he became a regular, he embarked on a productive rookie campaign. By January, he had tallied 16 points, tying for 10th among all NHL rookies and ranking fourth on the team with a plus-10 rating, which earned him a selection for the NHL's 2008 YoungStars Game. His ice time varied throughout the season, but he typically averaged 17 minutes per game. He finished his rookie season averaging over 18 minutes of ice-time per game, with 5 goals and 28 assists for 33 points in 69 games.

Following his rookie season, Johnson injured his right knee during the 2007 offseason, causing him to miss the first three days of training camp. It was later confirmed that he had torn his ACL and MCL. In November, Johnson underwent successful right knee ACL surgery, which sidelined him for the entire 2008-09 season. He returned for the 2009-10 season strongly, setting new career-highs with 10 goals, 29 assists, and 39 points. As a restricted free agent, Johnson re-signed with the Blues on August 2, 2010, on a two-year contract worth 5.20 M USD.

In the first year of his new contract, Johnson was named an assistant captain alongside David Backes, Barret Jackman, and Alexander Steen. He recorded one goal and nine assists in 29 games before suffering another knee injury in December 2010.

1.3.2. Colorado Avalanche

Upon returning from his knee injury, Johnson was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on February 19, 2011. The trade involved Johnson, Jay McClement, and a conditional first-round pick moving to Colorado, in exchange for Chris Stewart, Kevin Shattenkirk, and a conditional second-round pick. Later that day, Johnson made his Avalanche debut at the HP Pavilion at San Jose in a 4-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks. In his second game, Johnson faced his former team, the St. Louis Blues, and scored his first goal as an Avalanche player in a 4-3 victory. This goal earned him the Avalanche "Play of the Week" award. He concluded the remainder of the 2010-11 season with three goals and seven assists for 10 points through 22 games with Colorado.

Johnson began the 2011-12 season healthy but was soon placed on injured reserve in November due to a groin injury. After returning to the lineup in January, Johnson extended his assist/point streak to three games and led all Avalanche defensemen with 18 assists. Remaining healthy for the rest of the season, he finished by leading all Colorado defensemen in scoring with 26 points while averaging 20.50 minutes of ice time per game. Following this performance, the Avalanche signed Johnson to a four-year, 15.00 M USD extension. General Manager/Executive Vice President Greg Sherman commented on the signing, stating that Johnson had provided "stability, size, and an offensive presence" to the team's blueline and expressed confidence in his continued growth.

On January 23, 2013, Johnson played in his 300th career NHL game. A few weeks later, he suffered a head injury in a game against the Phoenix Coyotes, which sidelined him indefinitely. Upon his return, Johnson recorded a career-high eight hits against the Dallas Stars, becoming only the second Avalanche player to reach this milestone since the league began tracking the stat in 2005.

Prior to the 2014-15 season, head coach Patrick Roy instructed Johnson to reduce his bulk and weight, prompting him to focus on mobility and agility, resulting in a 10 lb ^{(10 lb)} weight loss. Upon his return, analyst Ray Ferraro praised Johnson for becoming "aggressive without being careless." He continued to produce offensively, leading all NHL defensemen with a career-high 12 goals by January. He also ranked first on the Avalanche in goals, average ice time, blocked shots, and power-play goals. Consequently, he became the first Avalanche defenseman since Rob Blake in 2003-04 to be selected for the NHL All-Star Game. However, Johnson did not participate in the All-Star Game nor the final 34 games of the season due to a knee injury. Despite this, Johnson signed a seven-year, 42.00 M USD extension with the Avalanche on September 22, 2015.

After recovering from his knee injury, Johnson remained relatively healthy for the 2015-16 season, playing in 73 games and reaching the 500-game mark. He achieved several milestones, including scoring his 50th career goal against the Dallas Stars on October 10, 2015. Nearly a month later, Johnson also reached 200 career points with an assist on François Beauchemin's goal against the Boston Bruins. He concluded the regular season with 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points, ranking third among Avalanche blueliners in scoring. This marked his third consecutive season as one of the top three scoring defensemen on the team.

During the 2017-18 season, Johnson played in his 600th NHL game on December 3, 2017, in a 7-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. At that time, Johnson led the team and ranked fifth in the league in average ice time at 26.24 minutes. On December 17, 2017, Johnson was suspended for two games for boarding Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vladislav Namestnikov. On February 29, 2020, Johnson became the first defenseman from the 2006 draft class to reach 300 career points. He is the 37th U.S.-born defenseman in NHL history to achieve this milestone.

Four games into the 2020-21 season, Johnson sustained a concussion after a hit from Minnesota Wild forward Jordan Greenway caused his head to make contact with the ice. He missed the remainder of the regular season. Although he returned to practice during the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, Johnson was unable to play before the Avalanche were eliminated in the second round by the Vegas Golden Knights.

With the addition of the Seattle Kraken to the NHL for the 2021-22 season, the 2021 NHL expansion draft was scheduled. While Johnson was contractually guaranteed protection, he announced that he would waive his no-movement clause, allowing the Avalanche to protect more of their younger defensemen. The Kraken ultimately selected Joonas Donskoi instead of Johnson. Due to a bout of COVID-19, Johnson missed the beginning of the 2021-22 season. On October 31, 2021, Johnson scored the game-winning goal in a 4-1 win against the Minnesota Wild, his 12th with the team, moving him into second place in franchise history for game-winning goals scored by a defenseman. After three consecutive seasons of being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, the Avalanche reached the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2002 in the 2022 playoffs. Facing the Edmonton Oilers, the Avalanche won the series in four games, advancing to the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The Avalanche ultimately defeated the Lightning in six games to win the Stanley Cup championship on June 26, 2022. Johnson was notably the first player in line for the Cup handoff, honoring his long tenure with the Avalanche organization.

1.3.3. Buffalo Sabres

At the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, Johnson left the Avalanche as a free agent after 13 seasons with the club. On July 1, 2023, he signed a one-year, 3.25 M USD contract with the Buffalo Sabres. Johnson later admitted that his season with the underperforming Sabres was disappointing, attributing it partly to the difficulty of adjusting to a new market after spending 13 seasons with the Avalanche, as well as his age as a veteran defenseman.

1.3.4. Philadelphia Flyers

On March 8, 2024, with the struggling Sabres out of playoff contention, Johnson was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick. The Flyers, who were having a surprising season exceeding general expectations, were pushing for the playoffs and dealing with several defensive injuries at the time of the trade. Ultimately, the Flyers missed the postseason by 5 points.

On July 1, 2024, after exploring the free agency market, Johnson chose to return to the Flyers, signing a one-year, 1.00 M USD contract. Johnson subsequently played his 1,000th NHL game on November 16, 2024, becoming the 25th U.S.-born defenseman to achieve this millennium milestone. He is also the 403rd player in NHL history and the 16th Flyer to reach the mark.