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
