Lamoriello says Matt Martin is a legitimate candidate to make the NY Islanders

We learned on Friday morning that veteran forward Matt Martin would attend New York Islanders training camp on a Professional Tryout (PTO), and GM Lou Lamoriello's invite for an opportunity is intended to be sincere.

Asked by the media whether the PTO was a favor for Martin to get tape for other teams, Lamoriello dismissed the notion. "He's a legitimate candidate. He's trained, we've spoken, he wants to play," Lamoriello advised. "We're totally upfront and honest. We'll have to get through training camp and make the decision we can make out that time."

The deck is stacked against Martin, who turned 35 after the season, finishing with only four goals and eight points in 57 games, playing only 9:18 TOI per game. Cal Clutterbuck won't be returning this season, Lamoriello confirmed, and Martin has always been most impactful when playing on the Identity Line with Clutterbuck and center Casey Cizikas. After Kyle MacLean asserted himself into the regular lineup in the second half, the Islanders look committed to having a new-look fourth line that may be more adept at implementing head coach Patrick Roy's system.

Martin has played in 15 NHL seasons, 13 with the Islanders. He's just 45 games short of 1,000 in his career, a mark Clutterbuck hit last season. Debuting as a 20-year-old during the 2009-10 season, Martin established himself as the team's enforcer, willing to drop the gloves to defend a teammate or sway momentum in a game. While that skillset is not as valued around the league as it once was, the Islanders will have a void in their dressing room without anyone to fill it.

Martin, like many Islanders before him has made his home on Long Island with no intentions to leave when his playing career is over. If the PTO doesn't lead to a job this season, there is the feeling that it won't be the last time we see Martin around an Islanders rink, offering help wherever he can to the organization that gave so much to him and he gave to in return.