As first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman , the Arizona Coyotes have claimed goaltender Jonas Johansson off of waivers from the Colorado Avalanche.
This move makes plenty of sense for the Coyotes, who prior to appeared to be heading into the season with Karel Vejmelka and Ivan Prosvetov, a duo who have combined for just 58 career games at the NHL level. Of course, Johansson isn’t much more experienced himself, having only appeared in 32 games, but at this time appears to be a significant upgrade over Prosvetov.
Johansson, 27, was originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the third-round (61 overall) of the 2014 draft. He spent plenty of time developing in the American Hockey League before finally getting some NHL action with the Sabres in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. However, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche during that 2020-21 campaign, and went on to play parts of two seasons with them.
Johansson went on to be placed on waivers by the Avalanche during the 2021-22 season, and was subsequently picked up by the Florida Panthers, whom he played two games with. However, he chose to go back to the Avs this summer as a free agent, agreeing to a one-year, two-way deal. While he has had to move around plenty in recent years, this move can be viewed as a positive for him as it will give him a chance to secure a back up gig in the NHL for the 2022-23 campaign.
Things certainly won’t be easy for Johansson, however, as the Coyotes have what many would agree is the worst roster in the NHL entering the 2022-23 campaign. Factor that in with Johansson’s career 3.42 goals against average and .883 save percentage, it could be a long year in the desert.
More must-reads: