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Maple Leafs sign Matt Martin to four-year, $10M contract

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 03: Matt Taormina #20 of the Tampa Bay Lightning is checked by Matt Martin #17 of the New York Islanders during the first period in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Barclays Center on May 03, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed bruising energy forward Matt Martin to a four-year contract worth $10 million.

The 27-year-old Martin is coming off a four-year $4 million contract with the New York Islanders. In 438 career games, martin has 88 points and 680 penalty minutes – all with New York. Last season he set career highs with 10 goals and nine assists.

In 2015-16, Martin combined with Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck to create one of the more physical lines in the NHL.

“That’s why they’ve been together so long,” he said. “He doesn’t want to break them up. It’s a testament to them,” Islanders captain John Tavares said in a late March story from Newsday. “They bring a lot of energy. They’re physical. They’re hard on the other team, but they get the puck in the net. Casey’s had a great year. Cal has gone back to the way he can score . . . And Marty does what Marty does. He’s such a physical presence. Teams really feel him on the forecheck in front of the net.”

The decision to bring in Martin could add some protection for 2016 No. 1 overall draft pick Auston Matthews.

Pension Plan Puppets points out some of the issues with giving Martin that many years at that term.

Size? Physicality? You could have gotten that for cheaper. Fighting majors and being “Good in the room?” You have Richard Clune who is adored by the Marlies players and drops them when asked. What is the reasoning here?

He’s a bottom six guy. You don’t give a contract like this to a bottom six guy.

The Maple Leafs currently have $71,344,084 locked into 38 contracts for next season, but that number drops to $47,120,832 the following year when contracts of Brooks Laich, Colin Greening, Milan Michalek and Jonathan Bernier fall off.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!