One of the key needs for the San Jose Sharks was definitely on defense and they were able to make a key addition on opening day of free agency, signing former Penguins blueliner Paul Martin to a 4-year deal, worth $19.4 million.
Martin immediately becomes the senior player on the Sharks blueline, at age 34. He has won a championship and should bring a good veteran presence to this side, which is in dire need of some real leadership.
In the 2015 season, Martin scored 3 goals and 20 points in 74 games with the Penguins, which was somewhat of an off year for the blueliner. Generally, he's right in the thick of the pool scoring lists, but last year, he barely scraped in as pool worthy, finishing 91st among his fellow rearguards.
Any gains this season will likely be due to the fact that he didn't have the best of years in 2015, so it shouldn't get any worse, in theory. The Sharks are an offensively capable team, they just need to buckle down and just do it. With guys like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski, Martin should have plenty of options to pass it to, no matter which power play unit he ends up on.The Sharks will be a different looking team this season, thanks to a new goalie, new coach and a brand new outlook on things.
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