San Jose Sharks: How does the Justin Braun trade impact other re-signings?

The San Jose Sharks have officially traded longtime defenseman Justin Braun to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a pair of draft picks. How could this trade impact other moves the Sharks might make?

We all knew that the San Jose Sharks would have to make a few corresponding moves to free up cap space following the massive eight-year extension given out to star defenseman Erik Karlsson. And while it’s sad to see a longtime Sharks defender like Justin Braun go, the move was hardly unexpected.

Braun had one year left on his contract and was set to make $3.8 million. Given that it’s likely that he would have been on the third defensive pairing, that number is just too high for a fifth or sixth defenseman.

On top of that, Braun’s 2018-19 season was perhaps the worst of his career as he posted a plus/minus of -14 and picked up just 16 points in 78 games.

Originally drafted by the Sharks in the seventh-round way back in 2007, Braun has been a steady, reliable defender for nearly a decade with the team. He ranks sixth among defensemen in Sharks history in games played with the majority of them paired with his now-former teammate Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

But alas, Braun fell victim to the numbers game. And as sad as it is to see him go, this moves could be crucial in keeping around some of the Sharks best pending free agents.

This trade brings them up to just over $16 million in cap space which is still not a ton given the massive number of re-signings they’d like to make.

First and foremost, the Sharks need to sign restricted free agents Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc to new deals. Other restricted free agents such as Dylan Gambrell and maybe even Joakim Ryan should also be visited, but Meier and Labanc remain must-signs.

Given Joe Thornton‘s declaration of intent to play next season, it’s expected that they’re going to have to use some of that precious cap space on him as well. Fortunately, it’s likely he takes a substantial “hometown discount” to remain in San Jose.

But of course, the question on everyone’s mind is how does this move impact the Sharks chances of re-signing Joe Pavelski?

The Sharks incumbent captain has spent his entire 13-year career in San Jose and is fresh off a 38-goal season which tied for the second-most he’s ever scored in a season. He was also an instrumental part of the Sharks postseason success as despite playing in just 13 games due to injury, he totaled nine points.

However, the Karlsson re-signing has made it increasingly difficult to see Pavelski back with the Sharks. And even after freeing up nearly $4 million in extra cap space following the Braun trade, it still seems unlikely the two sides will reach a deal — at least before free agency opens on the 23rd.

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Pavelski will likely be demeaning somewhere around a three-year deal worth up to $7-8 million per year which, given the Sharks dire cap situation, is probably too much for the team to take on given the other re-signings they must make.

And this isn’t a situation where exceptions can be made.

Meier and Labanc are 22 and 23-years-old respectively and are the future of this team. They must and will return at whatever the price may be. And apart from the emotional value, Thornton is a solid third-line center at this stage of his career and he’ll likely be available on the cheap.

Whereas in reality, Pavelski will be 35-years-old by the time next season rolls around and it’s hard to justify dishing out a three-year contract to an aging veteran like Pavelski given the young players that the Sharks must prioritize.

The best chance that the two sides have of reaching a deal is if Pavelski takes a serious “hometown discount” ala Thornton and comes back to the Sharks for under his market value. Either that or the team could try and free up even more cap space, but doing so may be difficult.

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The likes of Aaron Dell and Melker Karlsson could be moved as each is making around $2 million next season but it’s hard to imagine there being much of a market for either.

Of course, this is assuming the Sharks don’t bring back players like Gustav Nyquist and Joonas Donskoi who would only further eat into that precious cap space. If Pavelski is indeed a loss, Nyquist could be a lower-cost option to bring back as the former Detroit Red Wings winger could be open to a return.

Either way, the Braun trade was a must for the Sharks following Karlsson’s re-signing and it’s safe to say the value that they got in return was quite the haul.

A 2019 second-rounder and a 2020 third-rounder is pretty good value for a defender who has seen better days and was set to make nearly $4 million next season serving as a third-pairing defenseman.

Combine that with the freed up cap space and this was a great move for the Sharks even though it’s sad to see Braun go. While it doesn’t necessarily guarantee any future re-signings, the trade at least gives the Sharks some more flexibility when it comes to their cap situation.

Now, let the re-signings begin.