Report: Future of Matt Martin Very Unclear Despite PTO

It took nearly the entire offseason for longtime New York Islander Matt Martin to be invited back to camp, but it was on a PTO only. And according to reports, no matter what happens during the preseason, it doesn't look like a standard player contract is coming anytime soon for the hard-nosed forward.

The Islanders have precisely $0 in space, as they sit right at the $88 million salary cap. So there's no room for a deal for Martin for the time being. But as Stefan Rosner and Kai Russell tell us in The Hockey News, that doesn't mean that the 15-year veteran (and 13-year Islander) can't still hang around, practice and bring his leadership good vibes to the team, even as the regular season unfolds.

All they have to do is keep him on his PTO to start the season.
Per the rulebook, a player can stay on a PTO until the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, which is March 7.
If the Islanders keep Martin by going this route, he wouldn't be able to suit up for NHL games, but he will be able to practice, stay in the locker room, and attend team events.

Extending a PTO well into the season is not unheard of, by any means. The Boston Bruins did it last season with Danton Heinen until they had cap space to sign him about a month into the campaign. And the Isles have done it before, notes Rosner, with former players Stephen Gionta and Dennis Seidenberg.

Martin has played 955 games for the team over the past decade and a half, with only a two-year interruption playing with the Toronto Maple Leafs several years back. Last season, in 57 games Martin produced eight points and a plus/minus of +7, in 9:19 of ice time per night.