That the New York Islanders are looking to extending fourth-line forward Matt Martin shouldn’t come as a surprise. That said, the length of the new deal is looks like he is about to sign — that hasn’t officially been announced yet — could be surprising to some.
This is not to say a four-year deal is new to Martin. In fact, he’s signed two prior to this one. But, in a tight NHL marketplace and considering his age and production, that Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello is about to give Martin another four-year deal might seem like a bit much. If nothing else, it certainly demonstrates how loyal he is to the player.
Elliotte Friedman wrote in his 31 Thoughts column on Tuesday that word of Martin’s new deal might be a “bit of a surprise”. That was followed up by Arthur Staple of The Athletic tweeting that the buzz he’d heard was that the Islanders will be giving Martin a four-year contract with an average annual value of $1.5 million.
Interesting Timing on this Deal
Considering the fact that Mathew Barzal has still not signed an extension with the New York Islanders, word of this deal leaking comes at an interesting time. Some Islanders fans are taking this as a bit of a slap in the face to Barzal because it appears Lou is prioritizing signing a 4th line grit grinder over his top line centre.
Yes, Lamoriello is offering money to a player with “heart and passion”, but he’s doing it before getting things finalized with his best player and now, Barzal is missing camp as a result.
This is a very generous offer from GM Lou Lamoriello who has now signed Martin to two four-year deals. In reality, the money per season isn’t that bad. It’s just the term that has a few people a little taken aback.
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