The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed depth winger Matt Martin to a four-year deal worth $2.5 million AAV.
The Windsor native scored a career-high ten goals and 19 points in 80 games last season playing just 10:33 a game on average. He was a fan favourite on the Island as one third of the vaunted “E=MC2” fourth line alongside Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas. After Martin walked at noon today, the Islanders went out and replaced him with 37-year-old 20-goal scorer Jason Chimera on a two-year contract worth $225,000 less per season ($2.25 million AAV).
Martin can provide safe even-strength defensive minutes (he didn’t play a role on the Isles’ penalty kill) while bringing energy and a little secondary scoring. Martin’s 4.7 hits per game since the 2012-13 season lead the league ahead of second place, and now fellow Leaf, Leo Komarov’s 4.1. His 38 major penalties since 2012-13 stand sixth in the league.
Clearly the goal here is to make a young Leafs team tougher to play against through the addition a protective presence for the youth, but Martin isn’t exclusively a meat stick. Perhaps the Leafs have designs on moving Martin up their lineup to play with some of their younger skilled players on occasion; his very strong shot suppression numbers show he’s a capable defensive forward who can establish an effective presence on the forecheck (Ranked 72nd in CorsiRel% out of 588 players).
The four-year term for a 27-year-old fourth liner with a career high of 19 points is going to be controversial. It will come as a disappointing development for some who had assumed current Leafs management subscribed to the notion that committing term to bottom-line players out of the free agency pool on July 1 is always reckless behaviour. In the eyes of others, Matt Martin will become a fan favourite in short order.
https://twitter.com/generalfanager/status/748964664827056130
Matt Martin’s CF% RELTM — Tops on NYI
Matt Martin’s CA60 RELTM — 10th in the NHL
Matt Martin Statistics
| SEASON | TEAM | LEAGUE | GP | G | A | TP | PIM | +/- | POST | GP | G | A | TP | PIM | +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | Blenheim Blast | GLJCHL | 40 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 102 | | | ||||||||
| 2006-07 | Sarnia Blast | WOHL | 9 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 16 | | | ||||||||
| Sarnia Sting | OHL | 39 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 52 | 4 | | | Playoffs | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2007-08 | Sarnia Sting | OHL | 66 | 25 | 13 | 38 | 155 | 3 | | | Playoffs | 9 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 2 |
| 2008-09 | Sarnia Sting | OHL | 61 | 35 | 30 | 65 | 142 | 6 | | | Playoffs | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | -3 |
| 2009-10 | New York Islanders | NHL | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 26 | -1 | | | |||||||
| Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 76 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 113 | 0 | | | Playoffs | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2010-11 | New York Islanders | NHL | 68 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 147 | -13 | | | |||||||
| Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 0 | | | ||||||||
| 2011-12 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 121 | -17 | | | |||||||
| 2012-13 | New York Islanders | NHL | 48 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 63 | -2 | | | Playoffs | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| 2013-14 | New York Islanders | NHL | 79 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 90 | -11 | | | |||||||
| 2014-15 | New York Islanders | NHL | 78 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 114 | -4 | | | Playoffs | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 1 |
| 2015-16 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 119 | 2 | | | Playoffs | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | -1 |
GM Lou Lamoriello address the Matt Martin Signing:
Lamoriello spoke with the media regarding the signing of Matt Martin. Full transcript here: https://t.co/7l9cslJpsD pic.twitter.com/4PDkYBsvcE
— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) July 1, 2016
Matt Martin speaks after joining Leafs:
Matt Martin says he saw the impact Babcock had on Abdelkader & Komarov; wanted that opportunity. Full transcript:https://t.co/swwrdZg3qC
— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) July 1, 2016
