Matt
Martin
L · Limited · Very poor
2024-25№ 538 / 596
Matt Martin stats, profile and latest news: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats and headlines.
Retired 2025#17L
HEIGHT : 191 cm · WEIGHT : 98 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : May 7, 1989 · Windsor, Canada
Drafted : 2008 · NYI · round 5, pick #148
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | New York Islanders | 32 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 2023-24 | New York Islanders | 57 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 43 |
| 2022-23 | New York Islanders | 81 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 63 |
| 2021-22 | New York Islanders | 71 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 70 |
| 2020-21 | New York Islanders | 54 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 36 |
| 2019-20 | New York Islanders | 55 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 40 |
| 2018-19 | New York Islanders | 67 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 53 |
| 2017-18 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 50 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 50 |
| 2016-17 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 82 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 123 |
| 2015-16 | New York Islanders | 80 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 119 |
| 2014-15 | New York Islanders | 78 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 114 |
| 2013-14 | New York Islanders | 79 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 90 |
| 2012-13 | New York Islanders | 48 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 63 |
| 2011-12 | New York Islanders | 80 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 121 |
| 2010-11 | New York Islanders | 68 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 147 |
| 2009-10 | New York Islanders | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 26 |
| NHL totals | 987 | 81 | 97 | 178 | 1168 | |
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | New York Islanders | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 2022-23 | New York Islanders | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| 2020-21 | New York Islanders | 19 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 43 |
| 2019-20 | New York Islanders | 22 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 28 |
| 2018-19 | New York Islanders | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 2015-16 | New York Islanders | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2014-15 | New York Islanders | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| 2012-13 | New York Islanders | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| Playoff totals | 88 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 147 | |
2024-25 season: 32 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 PTS, -5 +/-, 8:33 TOI. WAR -0.3 (538th of 596) · PAL 8, very poor.
In 2024-25, Matt Martin, 37, posts a PAL Rating of 8 out of 100 (very poor), and his WAR of -0.3 ranks 538th among 596 regulars, in the bottom quarter.
His strengths: discipline (65, above average). On the other hand, possession (2, among the weakest in the league) and shooting (4, among the weakest in the league) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV defense (+0.4); his biggest cost: finishing (-1.7).
A marked decline: his PAL was 28 in 2023-24, against 8 now; his WAR went from -0.1 to -0.3.
Cut from his local AAA squad as a youth, Matt Martin worked his way back through AA and junior C before earning a spot as a walk-on with the Sarnia Sting, where he skated on a line with Steven Stamkos and later served as team captain. Growing up in Windsor, Ontario, he developed a physical, straightforward approach that carried him through junior hockey.
Selected 148th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2008 draft, Martin turned professional in 2009 and played in Bridgeport before making his NHL debut in February 2010, picking up two assists in that first game. He signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Islanders in September 2009 and netted his first NHL goal on October 29, 2010 against Alex Auld and the Montreal Canadiens.
Martin established himself as a hard-checking winger in New York. He agreed to a four-year contract with the Islanders on September 15, 2012, and set a single-season NHL hits mark with 382 checks in 2014–15. The next season his trio with Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck earned praise as one of the league's top fourth lines. As an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2016, he signed a four-year, $10 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs and settled into a protective, fourth-line role in Toronto.
His time with the Maple Leafs included playoff action—he posted two points in game two of the series against Washington—but also a slump that saw him a healthy scratch for 18 straight games in early 2018; he finished that regular season with 12 points in 50 games and was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy on April 23, 2018. Toronto traded him back to the Islanders on July 3, 2018 for goalie Eamon McAdam. That autumn he missed time with an upper-body injury and was placed on injured reserve on November 15, returning to play November 26. On January 11, 2021, he signed a four-year, $6 million extension with New York. He remained with the Islanders, signed a one-year deal on October 26, 2024, appeared in 32 regular-season games for 2 assists, and on June 24, 2025 announced his retirement and moved into the Islanders front office as a special assistant to GM Mathieu Darche.
Martin's game has always revolved around physicality: heavy hits, standing up for teammates and providing energy in a depth forward role. Off the ice, he started the Matt Martin Foundation in 2015, was recognized for community work, and is married to Sydney Esiason with four children.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 62 %
49
Replacement or prospect
SK — Skating60
ST — Strength79
EN — Endurance35
DU — Durability63
CK — Checking92
FG — Fighting91
DI — Discipline74
PA — Passing60
SC — Scoring56
DF — Defense84
PS — Penalty shot76
EX — Experience94
OV — Overall49
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 49 | 60 | 56 | 84 |
| 2023-24 | 56 | 59 | 59 | 87 |
| 2022-23 | 61 | 60 | 56 | 87 |
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR
-0.3
wins above replacement
538 of 596
PAL Rating
8/ 100
Performance · Very poor
414 of 451 at the position
Value Rating
—/ 100
Season cap hit unknown
ProfileLimitedBelow average at both ends
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
| Season | Team | WAR | PAL | Value | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | NYI | -0.3 | 8 | — | — |
| 2023-24 | NYI | -0.1 | 28 | — | — |
| 2022-23 | NYI | 0.1 | 44 | — | — |
Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
-0.3
wins above replacement
-0.6 to -0.2 — 90% interval
538 of 596 forwards
-1.8 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | NYI | 28 | -0.3 | -0.6 to -0.2 | 538/596 |
| 2023-24 | NYI | 57 | -0.1 | -0.5 to 0.4 | 465/608 |
| 2022-23 | NYI | 81 | 0.1 | -0.6 to 1.0 | 314/617 |
Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 1724th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| High danger | 623rd percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Mid range | 19th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Long range | 434th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
2024-2025 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
| Date | Opponent | G | A | PTS | +/- | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 17, 2025 | @ CBJ | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 13:34 |
| April 15, 2025 | vs WSH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:33 |
| April 13, 2025 | @ NJD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:06 |
| April 12, 2025 | @ PHI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:15 |
| April 10, 2025 | vs NYR | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 13:44 |
News
Montreal Canadiens
In Montreal, the Canadiens’ first line is starting to click while the second struggles to deliver, as Nick Suzuki’s chances to defend the Selke grow with Aleksander Barkov out.
· Eyes on the Prize
Analysis
New York Islanders
Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer is heading into his second NHL season determined to elevate his game and expand his leadership role with the New York Islanders.
· The Hockey News
Matt Martin has 0 goals and 2 points (2 assists) in 32 games in 2024-25.
Matt Martin is 37 years old: he was born on May 8, 1989.
Matt Martin is 6'3" (191 cm) and weighs 216 lb (98 kg).
Canada: Matt Martin was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Matt Martin produced -0.3 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2024-25, 538th of 596 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 8 out of 100: very poor for his position.
No: by WAR, he ranks 538th of 596 players at his position in the NHL in 2024-25. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
No, he is slipping: his PAL rating went from 28 in 2023-24 to 8 in 2024-25 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
Over his NHL career, Matt Martin has 987 games, 81 goals, 97 assists and 178 points. His best season: 2022-23, with 19 points in 81 games.
Matt Martin was drafted 148th overall (round 5) by New York Islanders in 2008.
In the playoffs, Matt Martin has 88 games and 13 points in his career. His pace (0.15 points per game) is similar to his regular-season pace (0.18).
Yes: Boomer Esiason (father-in-law, former NFL player).
Yes, married to Sydney Esiason.
Matt Martin is Canadian.
Finalist for the NHL Foundation Player Award (2016) ; Nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy (2018) ; Held the NHL record for most hits in a single season (382, 2014–15) — record later lost in 2024.
AA with the Lasalle Sabres; Blenheim Blades Jr. C (2005–06); joined the Sarnia Sting (OHL) as a walk-on in 2006; served as captain of the Sarnia Sting.
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
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