The San Jose Sharks have announced that they have placed defenceman Justin Braun on the Injured Reserve with a lower-body injury. In a corresponding move, the Sharks recalled Jacob Middleton from their AHL affiliate San Jose Barracuda.

#SJSharks recall defenseman Jacob Middleton from the @sjbarracuda.

In a related move, Justin Braun has been placed on Injured Reserve.https://t.co/iCueFlfw6V

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 5, 2019

Sharks Place Justin Braun on Injured Reserve

Braun sustained the injury during Wednesday’s 5-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Braun fell awkwardly on his right knee after battling with Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen for a loose puck. He will miss at least a week due to the injury but could be out longer depending on the severity of the injury.

So far this season, Braun has scored one goal and added eight assists in 42 games.

Braun has played his entire NHL career with the Sharks, registering 23 goals and adding 124 assists for 147 points in 571 games.

Braun was originally drafted by the Sharks in the seventh round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

What This Means for the Future

With Braun out, Jacob Middleton was recalled and is expected to appear in his first NHL game on Saturday night. He’s expected to be paired with all-star defenceman Brent Burns.

Middleton has scored two goals and added 10 assists in 26 games for the Barracuda this season. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the seventh round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Middleton signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Sharks on September 7th of 2017.

Middleton was named to the AHL All-Star team making him one of three players to represent San Jose in the game. The AHL may now need to find a replacement for Middleton, depending on the severity of Braun’s injury.

San Jose’s next game will be at home against the Eastern Conference leading Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.

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