Justin Braun's final season wasn't his best, but it ended on a high note.
Justin Braun has never been a flashy player. Even during the prime of his career, Braun thrived as a steady, stay-at-home defender who flourished shutting down opposing teams' top offensive playmakers. And he played that role until the very end.
Braun has officially announced his retirement after 13 years in the NHL. With 842 games, 199 points and nine postseason appearances under his belt, the seventh-round pick from the 2007 NHL Entry Draft ended up putting together one heck of a career, and one he should be immensely proud of.
But with the Flyers finishing the campaign as one of the worst teams in hockey, it's unfortunate Braun's final season in the NHL couldn't have been more eventful. The 36-year-old re-signed with the Flyers last summer after being traded to the New York Rangers ahead of the 2022 trade deadline, and his decision to return to the City of Brotherly Love ultimately didn't bring many positive on-ice memories (even if he did take home the Yanick Dupre Class Guy Memorial Award at the end of the season).
Season In Review
Braun wasn't expected to carry the Flyers' defense this season. As a grizzled veteran in the twilight of his career, Braun was relegated to playing more of a depth role while Ivan Provorov, Tony DeAngelo, Travis Sanheim, and Rasmus Ristolainen took on the brunt of the ice time. In fact, Braun averaged just 14:58 of ice time per game — by far the lowest of his career — while often being banished to the press box as a healthy scratch.
But one of the more bizarre developments of Braun's 2022-23 season came in February when he lined up as a forward (!) on a line with Nic Deslauriers and Patrick Brown. It was a curious decision from head coach John Tortorella, as Braun had logged just one point in 37 games prior to his short-lived trial run as a winger. Unsurprisingly, Braun finished that tilt scoreless after seeing just 7:43 of ice time.
Braun's season wasn't anything to write home about from a statistical standpoint. He finished the campaign with a grand total of two points (both assists) in 51 games. But despite his clear on-ice regression, Braun still served as a valued presence in the locker room, especially for the Flyers' younger players.
"My first-ever D partner in the NHL. I'll never forget," said 22-year-old Cam York during his end-of-season media availability.
"Just a great guy. I mean, you can't say enough about him. Just the amount of respect I have for him and what he's done in this league and what he's done here, for us, I mean, it's pretty cool to see. I'm just lucky to be able to say I played with him."
Braun may have lost a stop on the ice during his last rodeo as a player, but he certainly didn't lose the respect of his teammates.
Standout Moment
In the final game of his career, Braun's teammates showed respect for the veteran blueliner by having him take a solo lap during warmups at United Center. And sitting at 199 career points, Braun was given some time as the quarterback on the top power play unit. Braun didn't end up logging his 200th point in the tilt, but he did help set up a Noah Cates power-play tally early in the second period, which proved to be a pivotal marker in the contest.
It may not have been an eye-popping performance from Braun, but his sendoff was one of the few feel-good highlights of the Flyers' season.
Bottom Line
Braun's final season was far from ideal. His team was woeful, and his play took a noticeable dip. But in the end, he put together a terrific career as one of the NHL's more underrated defenders. Braun at least can hang up the skates knowing he gave it everything he had, even if the end was ugly at times.
Verdict:
Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and NHL.com.