The Philadelphia Flyers have re-signed veteran defenceman Justin Braun going into next season. The former seventh-round pick from 2007 has a contract in his hands after another respectable season after being traded away from the only team he’s ever known. The deal is for two years worth $3.6 million with an annual average value of $1.8 million. His previous cap hit was $3.8 million. The news was announced around 3 pm Monday afternoon.
Brauner’s back! https://t.co/HE4GymbKL8
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 5, 2020
Justin Braun Re-Signs With Philadelphia
Braun had another fine season in 2019-20. He scored three goals and 19 points in 62 games for the Philadelphia Flyers. His scoring actually improved with Philadelphia despite playing averaging roughly three fewer minutes on the ice per game compared to 2018-19. The diminished ice time cut into his physical stats; his hits and blocks were down from his last season with the San Jose Sharks but he still produced overall.
Philadelphia used Braun more in the offensive zone than San Jose had for several years and it showed. He posted his best Corsi For since 2015-16 at 50.2 percent. His Corsi For Relative was still a drain on general team offence but not constantly starting in the defensive zone paid off. He was able to outscore two much younger Flyers defenders and finish fourth in scoring among the team’s blueliners. That can certainly continue if his new team notices how Philadelphia deployed him.
What This Means for the Future
Braun’s usage should still only be at even strength and the penalty kill but he’s shown very little sign he is slowing down even as he nears his mid-30s. He has scored fewer than 11 points only once and that was partially due to the 2012-13 lockout. There is no reason Braun can’t contribute 15-20 points yet again with close to 200 combined hits and blocks. He has been a model of health for much of his career and should be a great bargain for his new team.
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