Latest report fuels speculation: Avalanche all-star veteran eyeing retirement after next season
Photo credit: Sportskeeda.com
Brent Burns brings with him an incredible Ironman streak, 925 consecutive games and counting, along with his iconic beard and a resume full of individual honors.
The only thing missing from his likely Hall of Fame career is a Stanley Cup, and the upcoming season may be his last chance.
Avalanche veteran all-star hints at retirement.
Burns signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche worth $1 million, with up to $3 million available in performance bonuses.
Burns appears to be following a similar path to Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque, who spent the bulk of his career with the Bruins before joining the Avalanche late in his playing days and finally lifting the Stanley Cup in 2001, retiring shortly afterwards.
«There's still something to chase, so I'm still super-motivated for that. There's one big goal still. You're around guys that are chasing one goal and there's just something special about it - all the laughs and the working hard together. It's really special to try to build something together, and I just enjoy that process." -Burns
The 6-foot-5, 228-pound Burns could find himself paired on the blue line with Sam Malinski, a player who was just around five years old when Burns first entered the NHL.
A first-round pick by the Minnesota Wild in 2003, Burns spent seven seasons with the team before being traded to the San Jose Sharks in 2011. He's spent the last three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Across 1,497 regular-season games, Burns has tallied 261 goals and 649 assists. Throughout his career, he's led all NHL defenseman in points (2016-17, 2018-19), assists (2018-19), and goals (2015-16, 2016-17) in single seasons.
With the upcoming campaign, Burns is set to become just the 23rd player in NHL history to play in at least 22 seasons.
The lone missing piece in Burns' long and decorated career is a Stanley Cup. He came closest in 2016, reaching the Final with the San Jose Sharks before falling in six games to Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In 135 career playoff games, Burns h as recorded 24 goals and 56 assists, all while averaging just over 24 minutes of ice time per game.
This can very much be Burns' last NHL contract.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 7 | 18 ANSWERS Latest report fuels speculation: Avalanche all-star veteran eyeing retirement after next season Will Brent Burns retire after next season? | ||
| yes | 13 | 72.2 % |
| no | 5 | 27.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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