Sharks normal supervisor Mike Grier on Monday didn’t shut the door on buying and selling defenseman Brent Burns, saying he’ll doubtless let the 2017 Norris Trophy winner take the lead on a doable transfer to a different workforce this offseason.
Burns, who turned 37 in March, has three years left on the eight-year, $64 million contract he signed with the Sharks in Nov. 2016. He has a modified no-trade clause during which he would settle for a commerce to solely certainly one of three groups.
Grier stated he'll discuss to Burns about what he needs, and added the Sharks will proceed largely primarily based on these discussions.
“He’s been right here a very long time. He’s been an excellent Shark participant, and I’ll let him form of prepared the ground somewhat bit on that,” Grier stated, “after which we’ll go off his lead.”
Burns is the Sharks’ chief with 594 factors in 798 video games since he was acquired from the Minnesota Wild in a blockbuster deal in 2011.
Within the 11 years since, Burns has change into the Sharks’ most recognizable participant. He’s been a Norris Trophy finalist 3 times, most just lately in 2019. He's coming off a season during which he had 54 factors, twelfth amongst all defensemen, in 82 video games. He was additionally one of many NHL’s leaders in common time on ice at 26:07 per evening.
Nonetheless, the Sharks have missed the playoffs for 3 consecutive seasons, with a mixed document of 82-101-25 in that point.
Grier has stated the Sharks would possibly must take one other step again earlier than they will transfer ahead as a franchise, and with a handful of different giant contracts on the books, has alsoexpressed his want to create some cap flexibility.
Buying and selling Burns, whose contract carries a mean annual worth of $8 million, would definitely accomplish that purpose, though it could additionally create a monster gap within the Sharks protection until one other blueliner was a part of the return on a deal or one is acquired by means of different means.
“San Jose has been a particular place for us, for our household,” Burns stated in April after the season ended. “It’s undoubtedly robust once you lose three years not making the playoffs. I believe everyone feels that manner whether or not they’re younger or older. You’ve bought guys which are of their third yr happening the fourth yr and so they haven’t even performed within the playoffs.
“At that early stage, they’ve already realized that they’ve misplaced these years to have an opportunity at it. On the finish of the day, that’s what all of us play for.”
One rumored vacation spot for Burns, as a result of he owns a ranch in Texas, has been the Dallas Stars. Not solely is former teammate Joe Pavelski getting into his fourth season with the workforce, however Pete DeBoer, whom Burns gained the Norris underneath 5 years in the past, is now the Stars’ head coach.
Dallas misplaced within the first spherical of the playoffs in Might, however the workforce has promising younger gamers in Jason Robertson and defenseman Miro Heiskanen, and could also be trying to change John Klingberg on the blue line.
In different phrases, the Stars are extra of a win-now mode than the Sharks.
Requested if that will be a troublesome resolution to commerce Burns, Grier stated, “Certain, it’d be troublesome as a result of he’s part of how properly this workforce has completed and he’s one of many faces of the franchise. However as a former participant myself, you need to preserve that aggressive fireplace burning, and what retains that burning is the chase for the (Stanley) Cup and profitable.
“So relying on our dialog, whether it is one thing the place he says he needs to go someplace and try to win, I get it. All of us play to win, all of us play to raise that trophy and as you grow old you begin to see the tip of the road. So I'd perceive if that’s the route you need to go.”