Matt Martin Isles

Forward Matt Martin said Tuesday he would like to stay with the New York Islanders but is prepared to leave when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on Friday.
"It's not a situation where I want to leave, I'd hope they want to keep me as well, but it's just how the business works," Martin told Newsday. "I don't like to hold a lot of grudges. I've grown a lot with this organization and I have a lot of things to look back and be happy about. If it is time to move on, it's time to move on. You make those connections in a new community. But I very much want to stay involved here if that happens."

Martin, 27, had 10 goals and nine assists with 119 penalty minutes in 70 games as a fourth-line forward in his sixth full season with New York. Newsday reports the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs have reached out to Martin.
"Obviously there's a lot of thoughts that go through your head," Martin told reporter Arthur Staple. "As the time ticks away here, you wonder what's in store for you and your future. You still hope something can get done [with the Islanders], but it's a business. I never thought it would get this far, but this is how these things go."
Islanders forwards Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo also can enter unrestricted free agency Friday.