NHL Trade Rumors: San Jose Sharks Put Paul Martin On Trade Block
According to the latest NHL trade rumors, the San Jose Sharks are actively trying to trade defenseman Paul Martin
The San Jose Sharks are fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. It’s been brutal, but with several games in hand, they are very close to grabbing the second wildcard spot. The Sharks also must deal with a somewhat awkward situation with defenseman Paul Martin healthy. According to the latest NHL trade rumors, he has requested a trade.
This is a situation with multiple layers. In a way, Martin has gone the way of Wally Pipp. He started this season with an everyday role with the Sharks. However, an injury forced him to go on the long-term injured reserve list just two games into the season.
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This gave young defensemen Joakim Ryan and Tim Heed a chance to prove themselves. And that’s precisely what both of them did, earning regular spots in the lineup. Martin returned from injury on Dec. 7 but has been a regular healthy scratch since then.
Even with the recent injury to Dylan DeMelo, he hasn’t been in the lineup. His agent has requested a trade because his client would prefer to play than sit in the press box every game.
Martin’s contract, however, makes a trade somewhat complicated. After this season, he has one year remaining on his deal with a $4.85 million cap hit. Martin is due $4.25 million next season, plus the pro-rated portion of his $4.4 million salary this season.
Not only that, he’s starting to decline. Martin turns 37 in March and has played just 13:28 per game this season. Last season, he averaged 19:14 of ice time per game, finishing below 20 minutes per game for the first time in his career.
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Martin understandably wants more playing time. But facilitating a trade could be difficult. It should be interesting to see how this situation plays out.
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