Flyers Acquire Justin Braun in Trade With Sharks for Pair of Draft Picks

We have a trade! The NHL offseason continues to be busy.

The San Jose Sharks have dealt defenseman Justin Braun to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a second-round pick in this year's draft and a third-round pick in the 2020 draft. The move takes place just a little more then 24 hours after the Sharks re-signed Erik Karlsson to a massive extension, meaning that losing Braun is most likely a repercussion of the deal.

Braun was owed $3.8 million this season and will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2019-2020 campaign. San Jose rid themselves of the cap hit, giving them more leeway to sign the numerous in-house free agents, a group that is headlined by captain Joe Pavelski. This, of course, is also in response to the big deal Erik Karlsson just signed.

As for the Flyers, they have made numerous moves on their blue line the past couple of days, acquiring Matt Niskanen from the Capitals in exchange for Radko Gudas and buying out veteran Andrew MacDonald.

Braun is a solid defenseman who can kill penalties and defend well in his own end. The Flyers are looking to gain some stability on their back end while the Sharks are looking to shed cap, making this deal a win-win for both parties.