Matt Martin's role, future with Islanders is yet to be determined
The Islanders' Matt Martin fights with the Penguins' John Ludvig during the first period of an NHL game on Dec. 31, 2023, in Pittsburgh. Credit: AP/Matt Freed
TEMPE, Ariz. — The physical element to the NHL game clearly has ebbed since Matt Martin first played for the Islanders in 2010.
Naturally, the way he has played has evolved with the league in his 14 seasons, all but two with the Islanders.
Still, at his core, the fourth-liner is a physical player, even if he currently can’t be considered a lineup regular.
Martin was back in the lineup as the Islanders continued a four-game road trip on Thursday night against the Coyotes at 5,000-seat Mullett Arena, their presumably temporary home on the Arizona State campus. It marked the third time in four games that Martin dressed but was only his fourth game since Nov. 15 as he went through two stretches on injured reserve for an upper-body issue.
“I’ve gone through this before,” Martin told Newsday. “I’ve gone through it with Trotzy [former coach Barry Trotz] as well, so I know how to handle it and deal with it. While it can be frustrating, you can only control what you can control. At the end of the day, I know who I am and the impact I can make.”
Martin, 34 and in the last season of a four-year, $6 million deal, entered Thursday with one goal, one assist and 12 penalty minutes in 16 games. His fight with defenseman John Ludvig off the opening draw of the Islanders’ 3-1 loss in Pittsburgh on Sunday marked just the second bout of this season for a player who has more than 100 in his career.
Martin also entered Thursday third on the NHL’s all-time list with 3,738 hits — the league started keeping the statistic in 2005-06 — with linemate Cal Clutterbuck the league’s all-time leader with 3,851. Martin had 35 hits in his first 16 games this season.
“It’s definitely changed,” Martin said when asked if he perceives that there’s less emphasis on physical play. “With the change has come a dip [in physical play] as well. But there’s still an emphasis on it. The rules have changed. There’s less hooking and slowing people down and finishing that way. Guys have gotten more skilled, so they’ve gotten a lot better at avoiding the physicality and not putting themselves in tough spots to be hit.
“When I was first in the league to now, especially the big hits are farther and few between. When I first came in the league, there was no head shot rule, for instance. Open-ice hits were far more common. Now you don’t see as many of them because the timing of it has to be pretty perfect or else you’re at risk of taking a five-minute major or taking a suspension. It’s a combination of a lot of things. It’s definitely made it more challenging to hit.”
Coach Lane Lambert, who has insisted Martin will remain an important part of the Islanders all season, has seen a change in his game since arriving from the Capitals in 2018 as Trotz’s top lieutenant.
“He’s an extremely intelligent player,” Lambert said. “He’s always been. As a result of that, this is one of the reasons he has longevity. He’s a solid, smart hockey player. He’s able to understand and evolve with the situation and the way the game is.”
Left unsaid, and with Martin playing on an expiring contract, is whether there will be a spot for him on next season’s team.
That’s not for Martin to address now.
“He’s the ultimate teammate,” said Hudson Fasching, a healthy scratch on Thursday who has mainly taken over Martin’s fourth-line role. “When I first got here, he was one of the first guys to reach out.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
