Ross Johnston has only played in one game for the Islanders this season and only 87 career games for the Isles since signing as an undrafted free agent and making his professional debut during the 2015-16 season. Despite a limited amount of playing time, Johnston is going to be a part of the Islanders’ future, having agreed to a four-year contract extension on Tuesday.
“I’m thrilled,” said Johnston, who played four years of junior hockey for the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
“I couldn’t be happier to be a part of it. Getting the deal done this early is something that is great peace of mind for me. I’m very excited to help this team win for hopefully years to come.”
The rugged 27-year-old forward has been a fill-in on the Islanders’ fourth line, mainly when Matt Martin has been out of the lineup. That was the case on opening night in Carolina, his only appearance thus far this season. With Martin recovering from off-season ankle surgery, Johnston saw significant time during the preseason, playing with Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck, and then skated with them in the season opener.
Leo Komarov replaced Johnston for game two in Florida and Martin made his season debut on October 19th in Chicago. Johnston will continue to wait patiently for another opportunity, and when that time comes, he’ll be ready. Always a hard-worker at practice, Johnston prepares as if he’s going to play, just in case his name is called by the coaching staff.
He has been the ultimate team player and relishes the chance to contribute when called upon.
"I feel pretty comfortable when those opportunities present themselves so for me its staying ready and taking advantage of those opportunities when they come," Johnston said. "It’s just coming to the rink every day and putting my head down and working. My role is pretty clear. I’m a physical forward and I provide a presence."
His game makes him a perfect fit for the fourth line when the Islanders have needed him to play. Johnston has shown improvement in his game over the years, particularly when Head Coach Barry Trotz and his staff arrived prior to the 2018-19 season. Despite his limited playing time, he is held in high regard within the organization and they have made the commitment to keep him around for a while.
“He hasn’t seen a lot of ice time or a lot of games but he’s a guy that brings an element,” said Trotz. “Obviously when [Matt Martin] is out, he comes in there and does that and he can add another element for us. I think there’s another level for Ross. There’s a lot of elements in his game that have come a long way in the last couple of years. He’s a big man who fills a role for us and an identity for us that we’ll continue with.”
Trotz knows a thing or two about developing a physical forward into a regular NHL player, having done that in Washington with Tom Wilson. The Islanders believe they have something like that with Johnston, who also acknowledges that he has a ceiling to his game that he has yet to reach.
And now with a four-year commitment from the Islanders, he’ll have a chance to show that the organization is making the right call in having him continue to be a part of the team, even as a reserve player at the moment.
“I don’t think by any means I’m where I want to be yet,” said Johnston. “With that comes practice and a lot of reps and working on those details to take my game to the next level. I believe right now I’m doing what it takes to build those steps to take it where I think it can be.”
Johnston is happy that his opportunity to grow as a player will continue to be on Long Island with the only NHL organization that he has ever known and the team that gave him a chance in 2015. During his 87 career games with the Islanders, Johnston has racked up 7 goals and 8 assists for 15 points while tallying 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points in 141 career games for the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
When the opportunity was there to get a deal done now, Johnston saw no reason to wait and test the free agent waters. He wants to be an Islander and wants to be part of a group that has their eyes on a Stanley Cup after back-to-back trips to the NHL’s final four.
“You see the commitment from the guys that have been here for a while,” said Johnston. “Guys have signed deals to stick here long term and that shows how close our group is and what we believe we can do in here. The commitment from the core group and just the all-around area of Long Island…it’s been a home for me and I’m very gracious to have the opportunity to stay here for a few more years.”
As the Islanders continue to navigate through a season-opening 13-game road trip and carve out a plan for the oldest team in the league to make it through an 82-game regular season, Ross Johnston will likely have some more opportunities to get into the Islanders lineup as they aim for a post-season berth and another long playoff run.
Beyond that, Johnston is going to play a role on this team for years to come, four of them to be exact, and he figures to eventually become a regular for the Islanders. Ross “The Boss” didn’t want to go anywhere else and that should endear him with Islanders Country because there have been many others in the past who couldn’t wait to leave.