Despite the tears, Dillon gets traded out of San Jose!

On Monday, San Jose Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillion held tears back as he discussed the possibility of getting traded prior to the trade deadline. 

On Tuesday, it became a reality as the Sharks shipped him to the Washington Capitals in return for a second-round and third round pick. 

The 29-year-old was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Stars in 2011 and acquired by the Sharks via trade in Nov. 2014. He had been an integral part of the success of the blue line in San Jose since he got there, and helped the team reach a Stanley Cup Final in 2016.

Dillon was signed by the Sharks to a five-year contract extension in 2015 worth $3.27 million against the salary cap. He is set to hit the unrestricted free agency market this summer. The Sharks have agreed to retain 50% of Dillion’s salary for the rest of the year. 

There is also another interesting clause in the trade, per Pierre LeBrun: In the event Washington wins the Stanley Cup then the Caps will give San Jose Arizona's 3rd RD pick in 2020 instead of Washington 3rd RD pick in 2021.

In 588 career games, the defensive-minded Dillon has accumulated 114 points. In 59 games this season, Dillion has put up 14 points and 83 penalty minutes. 

The Capitals were the only team with interest for the veteran defenseman: earlier today, TSN's Frank Seravelli reported that the Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues also targeted Dillion. 

They lost out to the Caps...