No one expected Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns to do this ahead of next NHL season
Photo credit: James Guillory / Imagn Images
As he approaches his remarkable 22nd NHL season, Colorado Avalanche veteran Brent Burns has made an unexpected move that no one saw coming, and it's already turning heads across the league.
Burns signed a one year $1 million deal with the Avalanche earlier this offseason.
Brent Burns ready for 22nd NHL season.
Tyler Major-Mcnicol from Breakaway On Si writes that the Avalanche have long been one of the NHL's most polarizing franchises, and their latest move only adds fuel to the fire. The addition of Burns has once again thrust the team into the spotlight.
As he enters his 22nd NHL season, Burns isn't expected to fill a top-four role or carry the offensive load from the blue line, and the Avalanche don't need him to. With Cale Makar leading the charge and a strong supporting cast that includes Devon Toews, Josh Manson, and Samuel Girard, Colorado's defense is already well-equipped.
"With Burns, the Avalanche added a grizzled veteran presence on the backend, who had a down year for his standards, posting 6-23-29 in 82 games, before adding five points through 15 2024-25 playoff games.
The 40-year-old brings a calming presence to the blueline, with good physicality and efficient zone exits, a great first pass and the ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone and support his forwards." -Major-Mcnicol
The 40-year-old brings a calming presence to the blueline, with good physicality and efficient zone exits, a great first pass and the ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone and support his forwards." -Major-Mcnicol
Bu choosing to sign with the Avalanche, Burns made one thing clear: he's still chasing that elusive first Stanley Cup. With the twilight of his career fast approaching and more years behind him than ahead, the urgency has never been greater.
"He could have chosen a much worse place to play then Colorado, who has been trying to climb back to the pinnacle of the NHL since winning the Stanley Cup back in 2022, and adding Burns', who is six foot five and 229 pounds, shows the organizations awareness of how integral having a big, physical team is for playoff success." -Major-Mcnicol
It may be just one roster move, but the Avalanche remain one of the NHL's elite teams, and Florida's back-to-back Cup wins have only strengthened the belief that physical, hard-hitting players who can wear down opponents are key to lasting playoff success.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 7 | 34 ANSWERS No one expected Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns to do this ahead of next NHL season Can Brent Burns still make a meaningful impact in his 22nd NHL season? | ||
| yes | 30 | 88.2 % |
| no | 4 | 11.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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