SAN JOSEThe Sharks reassigned defenseman Justin Braun to their American Hockey League affiliate in Worcester on Tuesday. The move comes after Braun struggled against the Kings on Monday, but generally played well since his recall on October 22.
Braun played five straight games between Nov. 5-12, but was in the lineup for just two of the Sharks previous six games as the club tried to find playing time for all eight of its healthy defensemen.
The move could be viewed as a vote of confidence in Jason Demers, who at one point was a healthy scratch in eight of 10 games. Demers, who sat against the Kings on Monday, got off to a poor start but has improved since getting back into the lineup on a regular basis on Nov. 17 against Detroit. He scored the only goal in San Joses 1-0 win over Chicago on Nov. 23.
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Braun has one assist, four penalty minutes and a 3 rating in nine games this season. In 38 career NHL games, all with San Jose, Braun has 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) and six penalty minutes.
The six-foot-two, 200-pound native of Minneapolis was originally selected by San Jose in the seventh round (201st overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.