Rangers rival bringing Matt Martin back to training camp on PTO

If the New York Rangers thought they were done with facing Matt Martin within the Metropolitan Division this season, well, they may have to reconsider. The rugged forward, whose days on Long Island appeared to be at an end, was thrown a lifeline by the New York Islanders on Friday.

Martin will attend Islanders training camp on a PTO, with a chance of landing a contract for the 2024-25 season.

“Matt Martin will be coming to camp on a tryout,” Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said Friday , when meeting with reporters at their rookie camp.

Just last month, Lamoriello said that the Islanders will “probably be moving on” from Martin and Cal Clutterbuck. Those veteran forwards helped form the Islanders’ “Identity Line” with center Casey Cizikas for the large part since 2013-14.

But Martin trained on Long Island this summer with the hope of getting another opportunity with the Islanders. The 35-year-old has played 955 NHL games, all but 132 with the Islanders. He is seventh all-time in franchise history with 823 games played, and sixth with 985 penalty minutes.

Last season, Martin accepted Matt Rempe’s challenge and fought the Rangers rookie on his first NHL shift in front of 79,000 fans at MetLife Stadium. Martin finished with eight points (four goals, four assists) and 43 penalty minutes in 57 games.

Fitting Martin under the salary cap will be difficult for the Islanders. Sitting right at the cap limit of $88 million, the Islanders would have to trade or release someone — a forward likely — from the NHL roster to make room for Martin on an affordable deal.

Related: Former Rangers goalie Keith Kinkaid trys to finish ‘Metropolitan-area trio’ with Islanders PTO

Rangers rival reveals Ilya Sorokin injury

Lamoriello also provided information about star goalie Ilya Sorokin which should catch the attention of the Rangers and all other Islanders opponents.

“During summer training, he had a little bit of a thing. He is skating, it’s nothing we’re concerned about,” Lamoriello said. “Will he miss the first day (of training camp), the first couple of days? Maybe, but I’m going to leave that up to the training staff.”

Lamoriello said that “thing” is an upper-body injury.

There was speculation about Sorokin because he wasn’t taking part in informal practices with teammates ahead of training camp. Lamoriello expressed surprise at recent rumors concerning Sorokin.

“There is no one with a more impeccable character and mental toughness than Ilya Sorokin,” Lamoriello said. “I was shocked and have no knowledge of anything that was rumored out there. … He’s been here all summer.”

A Vezina Trophy finalist in 2022-23, Sorokin struggled last season. He posted an NHL career-worst 3.01 goals-against average and . 909 save percentage and was pulled in his one start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when the Islanders lost in five games to the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Islanders also have veteran Semyon Varlamov in goal. The 36-year-old stepped up last season with a 2.60 GAA and .918 save percentage.

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