Paul Martin doesn't come to mind right away when you're asked to rank the top defensemen in the game, yet one thing has become very evident -- in Tom Gulitti's word, Martin is "irreplaceable" for the Devils.While his 19 points are pedestrian, Martin has quietly stepped his game into the upper echelon of complete defensemen this year, logging almost 25 solid minutes in a variety of roles. After missing four straight contests with a pulled upper body muscle, it's become obvious the Devils need him back right away if they're going to regain their strong play leading into the season's stretch run.
As Gulitti points out, the Devils are 3-6 without Martin in the lineup this year, and the reality is even worse than those numbers. One of the wins was a ridiculously sloppy defensive effort in a 6-5 win over the Sharks last week, and the other two were shootout wins against the almost hapless Lightning. Since Martin last played against the Bruins on February 13, the Devils have allowed 17 goals in four games. That's a far cry from the 2.44 the No. 5-ranked defense has averaged against this year.
Martin has grown to be very reliable, and his cool head with the puck has been a boon on both ends of the ice. He's also grown into a nice role as a power-play setup man, in part aided by that puck-handling ability.
His absence not only depletes the team of talent but depth. With Martin out, the team has brought up Anssi Salmela to fill the role of No. 6 defenseman, and while Salmela has some talent, the unit clearly lacks a top-flight defenseman, especially when other defensemen like Johnny Oduya and Mike Mottau have to play more minutes and take on a bigger role outside of their comfort zones to compensate for Martin's absence.
Some may point to other reasons for the Devils' dip in play -- the ebb and flow of a season, a flu that has swept the roster, the looming return of Martin Brodeur -- but Martin's absense has been chief in their declining play. The team needs him back to once again play like the league's elite.
