Burns reportedly snubbed the Hurricanes' offer to chase last shot at Stanley Cup glory with the Avalanche
Photo credit: NHL.com
According to a recent report, newly acquired free agent defenseman Brent Burns was in talks on re-signing with the Carolina Hurricanes before he suddenly had a change of heart.
Burns recently signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Avalanche.
Brent Burns reportedly snubbed the Hurricanes to join Avalanche.
Paul Griser from Pro Hockey Rumors writes that the Hurricanes entered the offseason with significant cap space and plans to pursue high-profile free agents. They made a major move on offense by inking Nikolaj Ehlers to a six-year, $51 million contract.
Now, reports suggests the team isn't done yet, as they're showing interest in Pittsburgh Penguins veterans Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust to further strengthen their forward group.
The Hurricanes also made significant changes to their blue line, headlined by a sign-and-trade deal for K'Andre Miller that saw right-shot prospect Scott Morrow sent the other way. Additionally, they added veteran depth by signing defenseman Mike Reilly.
"The Hurricanes also opted to let veteran Brent Burns walk in free agency, though there was interest in keeping the potential Hall of Famer in a lesser role." -Griser
According to Elliote Friedman on Sportsnet's 32 Thoughts podcast, the Hurricanes informed Burns that if he remained with the team, his role would be reduced.
«In Carolina, it's not that they didn't want to keep him. It's that they told him that his role was going to decrease. And I've seen this before. Even if players are being told the truth by their team, they have such pride and sometimes they like to go somewhere else and take a lesser role than the place where they already are." -Friedman
Friedman pointed out that the Hurricanes are content with their current defensive core, confident that the group fits well within head coach Rob Brind'Amour's system.
At 40 years old, Burns joins the Avalanche following a season with the Hurricanes in which he tallied 29 points over 82 games. Though his offensive production declined in 2024-25, he remained a workhorse on the back end, averaging 20:57 of ice time per game. Burns also chipped in five across 15 playoff appearances.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 15 | 27 ANSWERS Burns reportedly snubbed the Hurricanes' offer to chase last shot at Stanley Cup glory with the Avalanche Do you think Brent Burns will register more than 20 points next season in Colorado? | ||
| yes | 24 | 88.9 % |
| no | 3 | 11.1 % |
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