The San Jose Sharks signed defenseman Paul Martin to a four-year deal on the first day of free agency.
Done deal. Paul Martin has agreed to a four-year deal with the San Jose Sharks.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 1, 2015
This signing was a predictable one, as general manager Doug Wilson had stated on NHL Live that more moves were coming, especially in regards to defense. By acquiring Martin, the Sharks filled a gaping hole in their defensive corp that severely hurt them last season.
Over 697 games, the American blueliner has earned 272 points and registered an incredible plus-100 rating. He consistently plays over 20 minutes a night and is a decent possession player despite starting most of his shifts in the defensive zone.
Martin has not accumulated more than 20 penalty minutes in a season since he played for the New Jersey Devils in 2008-2009. As Ross McKeon points out, this is because he is rarely caught out of position and is smart with his stick in all three zones.
New @SanJoseSharks D Martin logged between 2-20 PIM last six years. Reinforces doesn't get caught out of pos, good w/stick, skates well
— Ross McKeon (@rossmckeon) July 1, 2015
At 34-years-old, Martin is one of the most experienced men in the Sharks’ defensive group. This is crucial for the replacing Scott Hannan, who acted as a mentor to the young Mirco Mueller last season.
The former Olympian will play a critical role for San Jose next season. His experience and defensive prowess is vital to the Sharks success and could help them to a deep playoff run in 2016.
Keep up with all the free agent movement at the The Hockey Writers’ Deal Tracker.
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UPDATE:
-Contract is four years at $4.85 mil AAV
Paul Martin's deal with San Jose: four years x $4.85 M AAV
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 1, 2015
Drew Weber is a columnist for the San Jose Sharks at The Hockey Writers. He previously wrote articles and appeared on podcasts for Teal Town USA (formerly Pucknology) and contributed briefly to Fear the Fin. You can follow him on Twitter at @puck_over_glass.
