Ross Johnston

There aren't many pure enforcers in the modern NHL, but Johnston certainly fits the description. The 30-year-old has accumulated just 28 points across 202 career NHL contests, and he's unlikely to ever have a campaign where he finishes with a double-digit point total. However, he will put his body on the line, as he did for Anaheim in 2023-24 while recording a goal, four points, 117 PIM and 139 hits in 68 regular-season appearances. Johnston is projected to serve in a fourth-line capacity to start the 2024-25 campaign, though he might spend stretches of the year as a healthy scratch.

Johnston's primary position a season ago was in the press box. He played in just 16 games (zero goals, two assists) despite being healthy for the duration of the campaign. Johnston averaged 7:48 of ice time per game when in the lineup, with his primary contributions being jawing at the other team and throwing a hit here and there. The 29-year-old somehow has three more years on his contract, albeit at the bargain basement rate of $1.1 million annually. Don't expect his role to change in 2023-24.

Johnston had four points and 93 hits in 32 games for the Islanders last year, making him a part-time player at best. That appears to be the plan for 2020-21, as well, as the rowdy winger is most likely to share fourth-line duties with Cal Clutterbuck at the right wing position. Johnston rarely plays more than a handful of minutes per game when he's in the lineup -- his presence is almost purely a physical one for head coach Barry Trotz. It's safe to avoid Johnston in nearly all fantasy formats, as his scoring numbers are too low to make up for his above-average hitting.

For his first significant NHL action in 2017-18, Johnston displayed an old-school quality as an enforcer and contributed a little on the scoresheet. In 24 games, he tallied three goals and six points while racking up 46 hits and an incredible 62 PIM. The 24-year-old recorded four fighting majors, and his 2.58 PIM-per-game average ranked sixth-highest in the league. With the enforcer role dying in the NHL, there's no guarantee Johnston will consistently play this season, but keep an eye on him after the draft. In the event of injuries to the Islanders forward core, Johnston will average approximately 0.25 points per game while adding a ton of PIM to any fantasy lineup.

.