2:13 PM: Braun was on TSN and said that he was “thrilled” to join the Rangers, that they are a “really good team,” good defensively, lots of offensive weapons, and “impressive” goaltenders.
He added that he was told he’d speak with the Rangers after the deadline passes at 3 PM.
1:31 PM: The Rangers have confirmed the trade.
12:40 PM: The Rangers are acquiring defenseman Justin Braun from the Philadelphia Flyers. (Jeff Marek, NHL Network)
The Rangers are trading a third-round pick in 2023.
Braun, 35, is a pending UFA and a right-shot defenseman and averaging 20:02 per game this season for the Flyers.
He has 100 career playoff games including 84 with San Jose and 16 with the Flyers in 2019-20.
Braun has 79 hits and 114 blocked shots this season with the Flyers. He has five goals and 11 assists in 61 games.
Adam Rotter: I wasn’t sure if the Flyers would deal with the Rangers and so I didn’t put a ton of stock into Braun, but he does add a lot of what they need on defense. He’s big, experienced, a stay-at-home defenseman, and someone who can play more at times if needed. He’s probably best used in a more limited role and on the PK. The Rangers won’t need him to play the same role and same minutes he played with the Flyers.
As a right-shot defenseman it’s possible that he will take Braden Schneider’s spot in the lineup. They play a similar type of game and I’m sure Gerard Gallant would prefer a veteran third pair of Patrik Nemeth and Braun. I’d prefer seeing Schneider in that spot, but I don’t think the Rangers planned on moving a third-round pick for someone not to play.