The San Jose Sharks have placed defenseman Paul Martin on waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract. This move gives the Sharks additional cap space for free agency, while it also makes Martin an unrestricted free agent. Martin, 37, is a veteran blue-liner who has seen some action in 14 NHL seasons, however, this past season has been a bit challenging for him.
#SJSharks have placed defenseman Paul Martin on unconditional waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract. https://t.co/VKwMWYmS8K pic.twitter.com/IBgCPvJK9U
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) June 22, 2018
San Jose Sharks Will Buy Out Paul Martin’s Contract
After playing 81 games and scoring 26 points in 2016-17 for the Sharks, Martin struggled this past year, only having played in three games before being placed on waivers on January 15th. Martin approached the Sharks right before he was placed on waivers and told them he wished to be traded, but the Sharks were unable to make a deal. With the Sharks facing some injury issues on the back-end, Martin was called up again late in the year. He finished the campaign with two assists in 14 games. Martin also appeared in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games, as the Sharks fell in the second round to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Martin will now be heading to free agency. He will look for a team looking to fill a hole on their bottom pair and add a veteran defenceman. He can be a role model for younger players and a voice in the locker room. Now at age 37, Martin’s time in the NHL is winding down. This might even be the end of the road for the veteran.
Martin has played in a grand total of 859 NHL games and has notched a career total of 318 points (50 goals, 268 assists). He was the 62nd overall pick by the New Jersey Devils in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Martin has played for the Devils, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Sharks over the course of his NHL career.
Cap Effects for San Jose
Martin was entering the final year of a four-year contract deal with an annual salary cap hit of $4.85 million. CapFriendly.com breaks down the effect of the buyout on the Sharks salary cap.
With the San Jose #Sharks officially reporting that they will be buying out the final year on Paul Martin’s contract, here is how that buyout will break down against San Jose’s cap over the next 2 seasons.https://t.co/vy7xdkgXiE pic.twitter.com/0MMJT6oQvy
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) June 22, 2018
Main Photo:
SAN JOSE, CA – DECEMBER 07: Paul Martin #7 of the San Jose Sharks skates against the Carolina Hurricanes at SAP Center on December 7, 2017 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Rocky W. Widner/NHL/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Paul Martin
