The Devils’ top defenseman, Paul Martin, has told The Post he definitely will test the market as an unrestricted free agent July 1.
Martin, whose agent is expected to meet with Lou Lamoriello at the draft in Los Angeles this weekend, said he wants to see what interest there is around the league. Martin made clear that he still looks very favorably on signing with the Devils.
Martin, 29, made $4.5 million last season, a year hampered by a broken arm suffered in October. When the bones failed to knit properly after he spent nearly two months in a cast, surgery was required that kept him out of the Olympics, where he was expected to be one of the key players on the U.S. defense.
Lamoriello listed upcoming unrestricted free agents Martin, Mike Mottau, Ilya Kovalchuk, as well as upcoming restricted free agent David Clarkson, as his signing priorities.
The Devils have a history of usually losing players who reach unrestricted free agency.