The Philadelphia Flyers announced Tuesday that they have placed forward Ryan Johansen on unconditional waivers in an effort to terminate his contract due to a “material violation.”
Essentially, in a contract, both parties make promises to each other. Each party therefore promises to fulfill a specific obligation under the contract. When one party fails to fulfill their part of the contract, that party (called the “breaching party”) has breached the contract. This is roughly what a material breach of contract is.
The Flyers declined to comment further on the firing of the 14-year veteran, whom they acquired in March along with a 2025 first-round pick in a trade that sent Sean Walker to Colorado.
Johansen revealed he was dealing with a hip injury after the trade and never played a game for Philadelphia. He has one year left on his contract at an $8 million salary — half of which is being absorbed by the Nashville Predators.
At the end of the day, his agent Kurt Overhardt said he intended to defend his client’s rights.
Ryan Johansen is suffering from a serious hockey-related injury and surgery is scheduled. Since being traded to the Flyers, Ryan has worked in good faith with the team, its medical staff, and licensed outside specialists. This attempt to void Ryan’s contract is disappointing.
Kurt Overhardt, agent of Ryan Johansen
“We are in contact with the Players’ Association and we intend to defend Ryan’s rights.”
Johansen topped 60 points three times and split his first 13 NHL seasons between Columbus and Nashville. Last year, he had 13 goals and 23 points in 63 games in Colorado.