New York Islanders place forward Matt Martin back on injured reserve

A veteran presence for the New York Islanders is expected to miss even more time.

On Tuesday, the team announced that forward Matt Martin is being placed back on injured reserve due to an upper body injury, retroactive to Dec. 2.

This is the second time this season the 34-year-old has been on IR. The Islanders initially placed Martin on the list, also due to an upper body injury, on Nov. 25. He was a healthy scratch for the team’s game against the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 16. He was activated on Nov. 28, but never got back into the lineup.

The former Toronto Maple Leaf has not played since Nov. 15, missing the Isles’ last 12 games. Through 14 games played, Martin has just a goal and an assist, having not registered a point since Oct. 28 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Martin started his career with the Islanders after being selected in the fifth round of the 2008 draft. He has played 912 games in the NHL, 780 with New York. The former Sarnia Sting product has racked up 1,122 penalty minutes in his 14-year career, scoring 170 points during that span.

After playing in Toronto from 2016 to 2018, Martin return to the Islanders to be a tough presence for the rising team. Though his numbers have fallen in recent years, he played in all but one game during the 2022-23 season.

Even without Martin, the Islanders have scratched and clawed their way into playoff contention. With points in seven of their last eight games, and wins in five of their previous six, the Isles have catapulted themselves into second in the Metropolitan Division. They are currently six points back of the rival New York Rangers for first.

The Islanders are two points clear of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are just outside of a Wild Card spot.