Sharks sign D Paul Martin to open free agency
Jul 1, 2015 - 6:47 PM SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The San Jose Sharks signed free agent defenseman Paul Martin to a $19.4 million, four-year contract Wednesday in a move to shore up a suspect blue line.The Sharks' main priority this offseason had been improving a defense that allowed the most goals per game for the franchise in nine years. That was a major reason why San Jose missed the postseason for the first time since 2003.
''Paul is versatile, puck-moving veteran who enhances our younger group of talented defensemen,'' general manager Doug Wilson said. ''He comes from a winning environment, is capable of playing heavy minutes and is accustomed to playing with high-end players. He was a player that we had targeted and this is a place that Paul wanted to come play.''
The move to sign Martin comes after San Jose acquired starting goalie Martin Jones in a deal with Boston and locked up pending restricted free agent defenseman Brenden Dillon with a $16.35 million, five-year contract earlier this week.
The 34-year-old Martin had spent the past five seasons in Pittsburgh. He is strong in the defensive zone and is a good puck mover. He had three goals and 17 assists in 74 games last season. He had only 20 penalty minutes and skated an average of 22:47 per game.
Martin also is a strong penalty killer who will be counted on to help fix a unit that finished 25th in the league last year after killing 78.5 percent of short-handed opportunities.
Agent Ben Hankinson said Martin had offers for more money but liked the fit in San Jose and the long-term commitment the Sharks made.
Martin spent his first six seasons with New Jersey and has 43 goals and 229 assists in 697 career games.
San Jose now has veterans Martin, Dillon, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Brent Burns and Justin Braun all locked up for at least the next two seasons. With 20-year-old Mirco Mueller also in the fold, the Sharks hope they will have a strong defensive core to help the team get back to the playoffs after a disappointing 2014-15 season.
Wilson still would like to add depth up front and possibly another defenseman but has filled two of his most important holes with Martin and Jones.
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