As one-third of the unit dubbed by many as the best fourth line in the NHL, Martin, a left wing, made a living as the busiest hitter in the NHL. He's led the League in hits in each of the past five seasons, including 365 in 2015-16, but he also reached double figures in goals (10) for the first time and had a career-high 19 points. However, Martin, who has 42 goals and 88 points in his career, didn't have a point in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games for the New York Islanders last season, and his line struggled at times to keep up.
For all his physicality, Martin is extremely durable (he's played in all but 11 games the past five seasons), and doesn't take a lot of bad penalties. He also became one of the most active Islanders in the community; his charitable work was recognized when he was named one of the finalists for the 2016 NHL Foundation Player Award.
Martin, 27, was selected in the fifth round (No. 148) of the 2008 NHL Draft and was a regular for the Islanders the past six seasons, including the past four under a contract with an average annual value of $1 million. Martin has worked hard to make himself a complete player. He, center Casey Cizikas and right wing Cal Clutterbuck became an effective trio last season, providing plenty of physical play and more offense than most fourth lines.
