50 Greatest New Jersey Devils Players of All Time: Numbers 40-31

Greatest New Jersey Devils player of all time: 34. Paul Martin

Right to another defenseman who had pretty much the opposite skillset as Colin White. Paul Martin is like Scott Niedermayer lite. That’s not a knock on Martin. Niedermayer might be the best offensive defenseman of all time. Martin was really good for the Devils for his six years in New Jersey. He was a 30-point player from the blue line in a very interesting part of Devils history.

Martin never won a Stanley Cup with the Devils. He joined the Devils in 2003-04, joining the defending champions. He put up 24 points in 70 games, and he even finished in the top ten in Calder Trophy voting. He grew his offensive game from there, and he became a power-play star. In his first season after the 2004-05 lockout, he had 17 assists with a man advantage.

Martin was a huge presence for the Devils who were looking into the next era of defensemen. Colin White and Martin were there to replace Stevens and Niedermayer. He did a great job doing that. He went on to play 400 games with the Devils before he left to join the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010.

Martin’s a complicated ranking. His time in New Jersey was incredibly effective, but he lacked playoff success. He was often on a team that was knocked out in the first round, and he never made the third round in NJ. He was still incredible in six seasons. It was a treat to watch.