This afternoon, the Islanders placed veteran enforcer Ross Johnston on waivers.
It was a move that had been foreshadowed for quite some time but finally came true a few hours shy of the roster compliance date and time. Johnston has appeared in 134 NHL games across seven seasons with the Islanders. He has tallied 9 goals, 15 assists, and 283 penalty minutes over that stretch.
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It is a different game than it used to be, and Ross had no role in this fast-paced version of hockey we see today. Due to the lack of roster space, the 29-year-old forward was placed on waivers and will be assigned to Bridgeport if he clears, which he is expected to. Johnston makes $1.1 million against the cap, but this transaction does not make the Islanders cap compliant right away. However, their roster size is now correct.
Simon Holmstrom is expected to be sent down to Bridgeport in a paper transaction before being recalled back to the Islanders. Holmstrom has beaten out Johnston for the last roster spot on the big club. A decision that simply needed to happen by Islanders management as a need for more skill and speed was determined to be necessary over grit.
