BRENT BURNS - Defenseman - 34 - $8MM Cap Hit - UFA in 2025-2026
LAST UPDATED 8/20/19
After being converted from the winger position and being traded to San Jose, Brent Burns started the process of growing into one of the game's prolific offensive defenseman. Over the past four seasons, Brent Burns has scored between 67 and 83 points, among the league's best numbers in that period. Burns is a dynamic puck mover, with strong skating and great size, allowing him to be an expert at zone entries. Burns has a rocket of a shot and has scored nearly 30 goals before in a season, which is nearly unheard of for a defenseman. Burns can quarterback a power play and be the offensive engine with which a top-6 line's offense flows through, despite him being a defenseman. Defensively, Burns isn't nearly as strong. He has the size and intelligence to make an impact, but his unyielding aggressiveness with the puck causes him to be quite mistake prone. He turns over the puck at a high volume and can sometimes be too eager to abandon his defensive duties to join the rush. When he's pinned into his own end, Burns isn't a shutdown defenseman and lacks the high-end defensive IQ that #1 defensemen need, and that's supported by his poor shot suppression numbers on the penalty kill. But, his defensive weakness is overshadowed by just how great he is offensively, and the league at large seems to care far more about his offensive prowess, as Burns won a Norris trophy despite leading the league with 153 giveaways. Burns is one of the game's best offensive defensemen and a true play-driving force, but his inability to play high-end defense keeps me from calling him a true, elite #1 defenseman. He's more of a low-end #1 at this point, because his lack of defense dings his value too much for me to call him a do-it-all piece.
After being converted from the winger position and being traded to San Jose, Brent Burns started the process of growing into one of the game's prolific offensive defenseman. Over the past four seasons, Brent Burns has scored between 67 and 83 points, among the league's best numbers in that period. Burns is a dynamic puck mover, with strong skating and great size, allowing him to be an expert at zone entries. Burns has a rocket of a shot and has scored nearly 30 goals before in a season, which is nearly unheard of for a defenseman. Burns can quarterback a power play and be the offensive engine with which a top-6 line's offense flows through, despite him being a defenseman. Defensively, Burns isn't nearly as strong. He has the size and intelligence to make an impact, but his unyielding aggressiveness with the puck causes him to be quite mistake prone. He turns over the puck at a high volume and can sometimes be too eager to abandon his defensive duties to join the rush. When he's pinned into his own end, Burns isn't a shutdown defenseman and lacks the high-end defensive IQ that #1 defensemen need, and that's supported by his poor shot suppression numbers on the penalty kill. But, his defensive weakness is overshadowed by just how great he is offensively, and the league at large seems to care far more about his offensive prowess, as Burns won a Norris trophy despite leading the league with 153 giveaways. Burns is one of the game's best offensive defensemen and a true play-driving force, but his inability to play high-end defense keeps me from calling him a true, elite #1 defenseman. He's more of a low-end #1 at this point, because his lack of defense dings his value too much for me to call him a do-it-all piece.
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