Avalanche welcome back defenseman Jack Johnson after trade

The Colorado Avalanche welcomed back another familiar face Sunday when they re-acquired defenseman Jack Johnson in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks that saw defenseman Andreas Englund go in the other direction.

After spending the majority of his career in the Eastern Conference, Johnson’s lone season with the Avalanche saw him finish with nine points in 74 games before playing in 11 playoff games in what led to the franchise winning their third Stanley Cup title.

He was a pending unrestricted free agent who was among the many players who left because of salary cap limitations.

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Johnson was one of the more popular figures within the Avalanche’s dressing room, which was on display when the Blackhawks opened the season against the Avalanche and Johnson was warmly embraced by his then-former teammates during the pregame banner-raising ceremony.

In terms of this season, Johnson has appeared in every game for the Blackhawks. He has four points in 58 games while averaging 19:49 in ice time. His return means the Avalanche have another proven top-six defenseman familiar with their system.

Johnson becomes the second former Avalanche player to return to the club. Back in January, they re-acquired Matt Nieto in a four-player trade with the San Jose Sharks.

Both Johnson and Englund, who had three points in 36 games with the Avs, will be pending UFAs at the end of the season.