The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenseman Brent Burns to a one-year contract value as much as $3 million with $1 million assured, in response to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
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Burns was chosen twentieth general within the 2003 NHL Draft. He has performed 21 NHL seasons with three groups and received the Norris Trophy in 2017 as a member of the San Jose Sharks. He spent the final three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, showing in all 82 video games and posting 29 factors within the 2024-25 common season, together with 5 factors in 15 playoff video games.
Burns Combines Offensive Talent With Bodily Protection
Burns turned 40 throughout this previous season, and at this level in his profession, he’s a identified commodity. He’s 6-foot-5 and weighs 230 kilos, and he isn’t afraid to make use of that dimension to his benefit, shelling out hits on protection and defending the puck on offense. Thanks partially to his construct, he has an enormous shot that he can unleash from the purpose, typically on the facility play. Nevertheless, his body belies his offensive craftiness and skill to deal with the puck and make sensible passes. In actual fact, his offensive sport is so well-rounded that he has performed as a ahead at occasions throughout his profession, incomes him a popularity as one of many NHL’s most versatile gamers.
Even along with his age and magnificence of play, Burns is extremely sturdy. He’s performed in each sport in 11 straight seasons, and his 925 straight video games is by far the league’s longest lively streak. His offensive manufacturing took a dip final season, however he continued to indicate up on a nightly foundation, an accomplishment in and of itself for somebody who’s logged as many appearances as he has. He’s nearing 1,500 profession appearances, and can nearly actually cross it with the Avalanche this coming season.
Avalanche Including Revered Veteran
By signing Burns, the Avalanche are bringing in a participant who isn’t solely expert and hard but also widely respected. He has performed skilled hockey for greater than half his life and has effectively over 100 playoff video games below his belt. His dedication to the game and his group all through his profession has earned him admiration throughout the NHL. As a result of his expertise, he’ll be a veteran presence for Colorado in a manner that only some gamers will be.
The Avalanche have made the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons, and with stars like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar on their roster, they count on to stay common Stanley Cup contenders. Given Colorado’s expertise stage, Burns slots in as a depth piece for them relatively than a central a part of their blue line. Nevertheless, he averaged over 20 minutes of ice time an evening final season, suggesting he may nonetheless tackle a bigger function if wanted as a consequence of accidents or different extenuating circumstances. However ideally for the Avalanche and Burns, they received’t ask him to do an excessive amount of, and he can discover his function as an essential defenseman who may also be a pacesetter — each within the locker room and by instance on the ice — for a playoff group.
