Islanders Waive Ross Johnston As Final Roster Cut

With one more roster cut left to make, the New York Islanders placed Ross Johnston on waivers Monday afternoon, according to Frank Servalli of The Daily Faceoff.

#isles waived Ross Johnston.

Everyone else from yesterday cleared, aside from the four claims (Thomson, Prosvetov, Greer and Ludvig).

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) October 9, 2023

The Islanders needed to cut one more player before 5 p.m. EST today to be compliant with the NHL’s roster limit of 23 players.

It was possible for the Islanders to cut Simon Holmstrom, who is exempt from waivers, but clearing Johnston and his $1.1 million cap hit this season gives them a projected $525,050 in cap space once he passes through waivers.

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Johnston had seemingly been on the bubble of the roster as the Islanders entered training camp already over the salary cap limit. While he’s long been a steady presence in the dressing room, Johnston rarely got a chance to play, making his contract too much to bear.

Despite the uncertainty of his future throughout the preseason, Johnston stayed committed to himself.

Johnston signed with the Islanders as an undrafted free agent in 2015. In seven seasons with the club, Johnston has played in 134 career games.

Follow Andrew Fantucchio on Twitter: @A_Fantucchio

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