LOS ANGELES — The Sharks placed Paul Martin on waivers Monday, setting the table for an audition aimed at resuscitating the veteran defenseman’s career.

The news comes a day after Martin and the Sharks confirmed that he has approached the team seeking a trade after serving as a healthy scratch in seven-consecutive games since his return from a conditioning assignment with the AHL Barracuda on Dec. 27.

At this point, it appears as though Martin is open to playing with any team that might claim him off waivers, although his preference is to skate with a contender. If Martin is claimed, the Sharks are open to working out a deal that would see them either retaining a portion of his salary or taking on bad contracts to make the numbers work.

Paul Martin has been placed on waivers and Montreal claims Logan Shaw from Anaheim on waivers — Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 15, 2018

Martin is in the third year of a four-year contract with an annual salary cap hit of $4.85 million.

In all likelihood, Martin will clear waivers and join the Barracuda in attempt to show NHL general managers that he can still play in the wake of offseason ankle surgery.

After he suffered a setback in his recovery from surgery just two games into the season, Martin posted a minus-two rating in his return to the ice on Dec. 7, looking slow and overwhelmed by the Carolina Hurricanes team speed.

His performance during a four-game conditioning stint with the Barracuda in December produced mixed reviews, suggesting that he could be a liability on the Sharks blue line.

The good news for Martin is that there appears to be interest in his services if he proves he can still play at the AHL level. Teams are always looking for blue line depth and a veteran who’s suited for 115 Stanley Cup playoff games could be an asset on any squad’s backend.

The Pittsburgh Penguins could be a good fit as they need to bolster their defensive group. The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking for backend help, as well, although they’d prefer a right-shot defenseman. The Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils could also be in the market for a veteran depth blue liner.

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With that being said, speed is the name of the game in the Eastern Conference and it’s unclear whether Martin is quick enough to keep up with the youth in the modern NHL.

The fact that head coach Pete DeBoer was unwilling to plug Martin into the Sharks lineup to give him a showcase at the NHL level suggests he isn’t sold on the idea that the 36-year-old is still capable of contributing on a contending squad.

The writing was on the wall back on Nov. 11 when DeBoer scratched Martin from the lineup, insisting that he was still recovering from his setback. Martin contradicted his coach, claiming his absence from the lineup was DeBoer’s call.

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“I feel good now,” Martin told the Mercury News a day before he was scratched against the Vancouver Canucks. “It’s in the coach’s hands. I just prepare to get ready to go and that’s all I can do.”

The plot thickened further on Dec. 29 when an irritated DeBoer said that Martin would need to “wait for his turn to play” after he finished his conditioning assignment with the Barracuda. The Sharks coach seemed to acknowledge that he had better options on his blue line — Joakim Ryan, Tim Heed, Dylan DeMelo — than Martin.

“He’s got to wait for his turn — end of story. There’s nothing more there. If you want to build this into something bigger than that then go ahead,” DeBoer told reporters after practice that day.

He later added: “this is about winning games tomorrow. The reality of this team is, we didn’t have a great year last year. We had a decent regular season and didn’t go very far in the playoffs. Guys were put on notice right from training camp that that equity is used up. We’re going to put the best team on the ice to win games.”

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Sharks reach agreement with depth centerman on two-year deal After that, the Sharks went on the road and produced a 1-2-2 record in five games. DeBoer punted on the chance to insert Martin into the lineup after a 6-0 loss to the Dallas Stars on New Year’s Eve and a third period meltdown in Ottawa on Jan. 5 that saw the Sharks cough up a three-goal lead.

On Saturday night, the Sharks coach reunited Ryan with Brent Burns after Brenden Dillon produced a minus-five rating in a three-game span as his partner. It was a symbolic ending to Martin’s three-year tenure with the Sharks as he had served as Burns’ defensive partner for two seasons.