A steady right-handed shooting defenseman, Justin Braun spent his entire 10-season pro career in the San Jose Sharks organization before the Flyers acquired him from the Sharks on June 18, 2019, in exchange for a 2019 second-round pick (Kaedan Korczak) and a 2020 third-round pick.

Early in the season, Braun was paired frequently with third-year NHLer Travis Sanheim. In more recent months, Braun has formed a regular pairing with Robert Hägg. Overall, Braun has averaged 17:16 of ice time and 24.7 shifts per game.

On the ice, Braun is a mainstay on the Flyers' penalty kill. Teammates marvel at his quick defensive stick and ability to keep a tight gap on his check. He has also chipped in 19 points (3g, 16a). In the locker room, Braun is a calming veteran presence with a good sense of humor.

Braun, who turned 33 on Feb. 11, has dressed in 62 of the Flyers' 69 games to date. He missed six games (Jan. 7 to Jan. 16) due to a groin strain and one game due to illness. He is a potential unrestricted free agent after the current season.

FIVE KEY FACTS

1) Braun has average 1:55 of penalty killing time per game this season; third among Flyers defenseman (behind Ivan Provorov and Matt Niskanen).

2) Dating back to Nov. 1, Braun ranks fourth on the Flyers in blocked shots (71) and is tied for fifth in credited hits (82). He has also chipped in 16 points (3g, 13a) over his 51 games played in that span.

3) Along with Niskanen, Braun is one of two Flyers players who have appeared in both a Stanley Cup Final (2016 vs. Pittsburgh) and a conference final (2019 Western Conference Final vs. St. Louis) in his career.

4) There have been four games this season in which Braun logged 20 minutes or more of ice time, including a season-high 21:10 across 30 shifts on Oct.12 in Vancouver.

5) Although offensive contributions are not his primary value to the team, Braun notably had a six-game stretch from Dec. 23 to Jan. 4 in which he produced five points (2g, 3a).

TOP HIGHLIGHTS

Video: PIT@PHI: Braun scores on the empty net

1) Jan 21, 2020 vs. PIT (19:00, 3rd period) Braun played a strong overall game as the Flyers blanked the archrival Penguins, 3-0, in the final game before the NHL All-Star break. He blocked three shots, including a crucial one that prevented a potential goal. He was credited with a pair of hits. Braun then punctuated the Flyers' victory with an empty-net goal in the final minute of the game.

Video: PHI@FLA: Aube-Kubel fires rebound into net

2) Feb. 13, 2020 @ FLA (18:32, 1st period): Braun has had a pair of three-assist games this season. This game, a 6-2 road victory against the Panthers, was the first. Three times, Braun started plays in the defensive zone that resulted in goals at the other end. Perhaps most notably, a late first-period rebound goal by Nicolas Aube-Kubel -- the second Flyers goal in less than a minute -- gave Philly a quick 3-0 lead.

Video: WPG@PHI: Pitlick earns goal after puck pinballs

3) Feb. 22, 2020 vs WPG (9:34, 3rd period): Braun assisted on two Scott Laughton goals in the first period and then a third period tally by Tyler Pitlick. On the Pitlick goal, quick D-to-D puck rotation from Braun to Robert Hägg off a clean faceoff win started the sequence that resulted in a crucial insurance goal for the Flyers.

THEY SAID IT

"He is unbelievable stick-on-puck. He's hard to play against. He's like seaweed. You're out there, there's arms & he's battling, pushing you, poke checking."

Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher, Sept. 13, 2019.

HE SAID IT

"To win with consistency, you have to play with consistency as a team. We've done that pretty much. You can't have guys taking nights off. You can't feel sorry for yourself if you play well but don't win, like [the March 10 loss to Boston]. Our team doesn't dwell on losses. The ones we've had, I think we've come out and responded well the next game."

Justin Braun. March 10, 2020.