Islanders' Matt Martin knows his role as a part-timer, and Patrick Roy values his leadership

EDMONTON, Alberta — The Oilers’ Connor McDavid entered Tuesday night’s match against the Islanders five points shy of becoming the 99th player in NHL history to reach 1,000. Whether he reached it in one game, or needed the next few, the future Hall of Famer will get there.

 Matt Martin was on the ice at Rogers Place as the Islanders opened their season-longest five-game road trip for his 960th NHL game with a chance to get to 1,000 this season after signing a one-year, $775,000 deal on Oct. 26 off his professional tryout offer. Tuesday marked Martin’s third straight game in the lineup and fifth in nine games since rejoining the team.

But the 1,000-game milestone isn’t guaranteed for Martin because his playing time will fluctuate in what he admits is a new role following 13 seasons over two tenures as a fourth-line stalwart.

“It’s a different role than I’ve had before, which I think is good for me in a lot of ways,” Martin told Newsday. “Not that I haven’t been in and out of the lineup before. But coming into the season there was a pretty good understanding of what it would be when I did sign.

“You’re trying to just put in the extra work, even playing defenseman at practice and getting the reps is better than being the 13th forward where you need to let the other guys get the reps that are playing the next night. I do a lot of things extra to stay ready and be ready.”

That Patrick Roy kept this version of his revamped fourth line intact for a third straight game — Martin and Oliver Wahlstrom on Kyle MacLean’s wings — was a good indication his appreciation for Martin has not waned.

In a 4-2 win in Ottawa on Thursday, Martin bulled his way into the right corner, retrieved the puck and got it to Wahlstrom in the slot for a 3-0 lead at 2:41 of the third period.

“He’s the one that created that forecheck and opened up Wahlly for that shot,” Roy said. “He does a lot of good things and he’s accepted his role. It’s the leadership we need.”

Martin played 57 games last season with four goals, four assists and 43 penalty minutes in the last season of a four-year, $6 million deal. He attended training camp on a PTO, then waited to find a spot, preferably with the Islanders but elsewhere if needed.

“I always felt like an opportunity would come just based off of playing in this league for as long as I have and knowing there’s injuries and things that happen,” Martin said. “It’s just a matter of when more than if the opportunity would come and whether I was going to be ready or not for it.

The Islanders also traveled for a seven-day span early in the season on a three-game trip to Dallas, Colorado and St. Louis. Martin spent that time away from the team skating on his own at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow.

Roy said once the season began, Martin was very respectful of the fact that while he was working out with the team, he wasn’t necessarily a team member.

“We talked a lot,” Roy said. “Even before, he didn’t want to be a burden for the team. And I said, ‘You’re not. You’re too smart.’ He’s a leader. Guys look up to him. I wanted him around regardless of whether he had a contract or not. The window opened up for him and, right now, he’s playing every game and I’m happy.”

Notes & quotes: Ilya Sorokin started for the second game in a row but Roy said Semyon Varlamov will likely be in net in Vancouver on Thursday night. “We have two very good goalies,” Roy said. “I think we knew that Ilya would probably have the upper hand and play more games than Varly…” Defenseman Alexander Romanov (upper body) missed his fifth straight game and eighth out of the last nine. But he practiced with the team for the second straight day, again wearing an orange, non-contact jersey during the Islanders’ morning skate. “There’s progress there but it’s still day to day,” Roy said…Forward Hudson Fasching remained the healthy scratch.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

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.