Report: Sharks begin negotiating contract extension with Justin Braun
The San Jose Sharks have begun negotiating the terms of a potential contract extension with 27-year-old defenseman Justin Braun, reports Kevin Kurz of CSNBayArea.com. Although nothing is imminent, the two sides have touched base and are expected to discuss the matter further this summer.
“Nothing yet," Braun's agent Neil Sheehy of ICEHockeyAgency wrote in an e-mail to Kurz. "We will be talking more later in the month after Justin’s wedding."
Braun, who is getting married in Atlanta this coming weekend, is entering the third-year of his current $3.75 million deal, and is poised to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2015 at the relatively tender age of 28. Considering the dollar amounts netted in unrestricted free agency by defenders like Brooks Orpik, Matt Niskanen, Willie Mitchell and others this summer, locking up Braun could prove a pricey proposition for the Sharks.
The American-born defender managed four goals and 19 points while logging first pairing minutes at even-strength and appearing in all 82 regular season games for the Sharks during the 2013-14 campaign. Braun is versatile, durable, capable of playing in any situation, and he shoots right-handed - all of which serve to enhance his prospective value.
[H/T Pro Hockey Talk]