Ross Johnston recently signed a four-year extension with the Islanders worth $1.1 million per season. Some people may not like the deal, but there are reasons you should. Why was Ross Johnston’s extension so crucial to the Islanders’?

Ross Johnston and Waivers

Johnston definitely would have been claimed on waivers if the Islanders sent him down to Bridgeport. There are a lot of teams that would have easily claimed him because he is a really good depth player. He is a six-foot-five, heavy and hard hitter who can make key plays. Many different teams need that on their third or fourth line. Therefore, if they waived Johnston, the Islanders would have lost out on a crucial depth player. Lou Lamoriello can now send Johnston down to Bridgeport and teams will not want to claim him.

Next Man Up on Identity Line

The Islanders’ identity line is very critical to the team. Recently, Matt Martin was injured and missed some games. Ross Johnston was put on the fourth line in one of those games and played well. He might not be amazing, but he is a great replacement on the line.

Ross Johnston Adds Depth

Johnston adds a lot of depth to the Islanders. Instead of having someone like Leo Komarov or Kieffer Bellows filling a hole on the third or fourth line, the Islanders can use Johnston. He knows his role and sticks to it. He knows he is not there to score, so he will not get fancy and lose the puck. Johnston knows he is there to hit players and get the puck in deep. He will battle hard in the corners and forecheck really hard, too. The tall forward adds a lot of depth to the Islanders.

Therefore, this extension helped the team in many ways.

John Smark