Montreal Canadiens: Five Depth Wingers The Habs Could Sign as Free Agents

5. Matt Martin

The last time Matt Martin was a free agent, he signed a four-year contract worth a total of $10 million with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Two years later, he was shipped back to the New York Islanders as his $2.5 million cap hit was a bit much for a team that wanted to overpay every forward on their team.

Martin is a hulking winger at 6’3″ and 220 pounds. He just turned 31 and is coming off a season where he scored fives goals and eight points in 55 games. He is strictly a fourth line winger at this point in his career, but he does skate well for a player of his size, plays a very physical style and can be trusted to not make many mistakes on the ice.

Martin would essentially be brought in to play the same role Nick Cousins should have been playing this season. A fourth line winger with limited action on the penalty kill and none on the power play. Had Cousins been put in that situation, fans would have loved what he brought. However, he was constantly thrown on the power play for some reasons and fans began to resent him for something that was out of his control.

If Martin came to Montreal and suited up on the fourth line left wing with Jake Evans and either Paul Byron or Artturi Lehkonen, it would give the Habs a trusted, defensive fourth line that can pot the odd goal here and there. Martin was often part of what was known as the “best fourth line in hockey” with Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck. Martin, Evans and Byron would be a pretty effective fourth line as well.

The 31 year old Windsor, Ontario native would come much cheaper than his current $2.5 million cap hit. You could likely slice that in half and bring him in on a one year deal to fulfill the role as 12th and sometimes 13th forward. He’s a veteran, plays hard every shift and can be trusted defensively.