900-game veteran Matt Martin returns to the NHL on a new one-year contract

The 900-game veteran Matt Martin is officially returning to the NHL after signing a one-year contract with the New York Islanders.

Matt Martin, 35, is finally returning to the NHL after spending the summer and the start of the season as a free agent. His four-year, $1.5 million AAV contract with the New York Islanders expired at the end of last season, but never gave up on returning to the NHL.

In breaking news, it was announced that Martin signed a one-year contract with the New York Islanders, who drafted him 148th overall in 2008.

The organization made it official in a press release:

In 955 regular-season games with the Islanders and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the forward scored 176 points, including 81 goals. He added eight goals and five assists in 88 playoff games. To this day, his 3,854 hits make him the leader in NHL history for that category.

With Anthony Duclair's long-term injury, the Islanders must be looking forward to seeing Martin in the lineup. The veteran will look to bring energy, grit, and leadership to the Isles' locker room.

No update about Martin's status was made by the organization, but if he doesn't play in tonight's game, he should be in uniform next Tuesday, against the Anaheim Ducks.

The team will look to build a winning streak tonight, as they face the Florida Panthers in Long Island. Patrick Roy's men beat the New Jersey Devils last night 4-3 in overtime and have a lot of momentum going in their second of back-to-back games.

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