NY Islanders 2022-23 player report card: Matt Martin has a career year

In the 2022-23 NHL season, the NY Islanders saw a lot of unlikely players step up to help lead them to the playoffs in the absence of Mat Barzal. One of which was the fourth-line left wing, Matt Martin. Year in and year out, Martin does his job as the team's enforcer and this year was no different. However, Martin also provided the Islanders with a good amount of offense and that should not be overlooked.

*Read our previously Published player report cards:

-Sebastian Aho | Josh Bailey | Mathew Barzal | Samuel Bolduc | Casey Cizikas | Cal Clutterbuck |Noah Dobson | Pierre Engvall | Hudson Fasching | Simon Holmstrom | Bo Horvat | Ross Johnston

NY Islanders 2022-23 player report card: Matt Martin

Matt Martin has been with the Islanders since 2009. To say he's getting up there in age is an understatement. However, the value he brought to the Islanders this year is still at an all-time high. Last year, Martin played in 71 games on the season, tallying only seven points off of three goals and four assists.

Many fans, myself included assumed that was how Martin was going to be going forward, a roughly 10-point per-season player. However, he proved a lot of people wrong this year. Martin finished the year playing in all but one game, 81 in total, and tallying 19 points off of seven goals and 12 assists.

Martin tied his career-high in points and obtained a career-high in assists with 12 on the year. This was his first year since playing in the NHL that Martin tallied over 10 assists. However, it's important to note that the point sheet is not all that matters. He was also the team's enforcer and was as hard-hitting as ever before.

This year Martin showed that while father time can affect everyone, it does so at a different rate. Martin was placed in various roles this season, even getting a few games in the top-six rotation. It's worth noting that while he wasn't perfect, this was by far one of his best years in the past five or so years. With that said, and all things considered, Martin gets a B+ on the season.