About Last Season: Jordan Martinook Performance Review and Grade

Jordan Martinook: 2018-19 By The Numbers

• Age: 26
• NHL Seasons: 5
• Scoring: 15 goals, 10 assists, 25 points
• Ice Time: 12:46 ES, 0:06 PP, 1:37 PK
• 5 on 5 Stats: 55.1% CF, 43.53% GF
• Contract Status: Two year contract extension begins next season, $2 million AAV

While several players could vie for the title of best player on the ice on any given night for the Carolina Hurricanes this season, Jordan Martinook is one of the few who could lay claim as a true “glue guy” on this lunch pail kind of team. Brought in to provide grit, toughness and depth, Martinook checked all of those boxes in his first season in Raleigh and earned himself a contract extension before the season even ended for his efforts.

While 15 goals scored is certainly not insignificant, Martinook’s value was probably less tied to the box score than any player on the Hurricanes roster. His effort and influence in shepherding rookie Andrei Svechnikov is something that was important this season, but could pay even greater dividends in the future.

What Martinook was able to provide on the ice was certainly still of value, however. His physical and firm brand of hockey that was on display from the onset of the season served as an example for the style his teammates would come around to in the second half and in the postseason, as the Canes proved difficult to match will and effort against on a nightly basis.

Going forward, Martinook would seem to be a perfect compliment on a tight-checking third line or as a vital part of a fourth line within a system that truly rolls four lines, which has been something that Rod Brind’Amour has certainly seemed inclined to do. Martinook has proven that he is both the type of personality, teammate and indeed performer that can contribute mightily to a contending hockey team. He played through an exceptionally painful core muscle injury in the playoffs that required surgery as soon as the season was over, staying at it until he could do it no longer.

And...to be fair, it may take a little extra work for him to truly become a “contender”: