Few players on the roster are more polarizing both on and off the ice than Brent Burns. The right-handed defenseman is one of the oldest active players in the league with a backpack as full as the accomplishments he has racked up since being drafted by the Minnesota Wild in 2003. The 40-year-old has done just about everything a hockey player hopes to during their career, except for one thing.
This season was Burns' 21st in the NHL and his third with the Hurricanes after being acquired in 2022. He hit a few big milestones, though none bigger than passing Garry Unger for the fourth-longest Iron Man streak in NHL history. Playing all 82 games, Burns has now suited up for 925 consecutive games. However, this was Burns' worst season statistically in a few years, and easily his worst as a Hurricane.
The 2024-25 season marked the final year of an eight-year deal Burns signed while with the San Jose Sharks in 2016. For some fans, Burns' pending free-agent status couldn't come soon enough. Others have shown their appreciation for Burns since being eliminated from the playoffs, thus ending another bid for the elusive Stanley Cup.
Rod Brind'Amour was comfortable deploying Burns in just about every situation imaginable. Burns was paired with Jaccob Slavin once again this season, while also killing penalties with his defensive partner and quarterbacking the second power play. He averaged over 20 minutes per night during the regular season and almost 23 minutes during the playoffs.
During his exit interview on Friday, Burns didn't indicate that he was thinking about retiring yet, so he's likely to hit the free agent market on July 1st, barring a new deal being struck before then. Seeing as he finished another entire season, Burns clearly feels he can still provide value on the back end. The question becomes, where is he a fit?
There's a few storybook places for him to finish his NHL career
My immediate thought was, "How cool would it be for Brent Burns to return to San Jose?" In concept, it would be incredibly cool. Seeing Burns hit 1,500 games and possibly moving into second on the Iron Man list with the Sharks would give us all the feels, but that's unlikely to happen. If Burns is trying to win a Stanley Cup, San Jose won't be high on his list.
A more realistic reunion could be with the team that drafted him, the Minnesota Wild, though that also seems unlikely. The Wild are solid on the right side of their defense, featuring Brock Faber, Jared Spurgeon, Zach Bogosian, and David Jiricek. Unless someone is moved, I don't see Burns reuniting with Minnesota.
Where could he end up?
If the Hurricanes don't re-sign Brent Burns, which I don't think they will, plenty of teams will be interested, even as he prepares to turn 41. There's little doubt in my mind that he'll seek a contender to finish his career with. It would help if the team could use some depth on the right side. This leads me to a small number of potential suitors who fit that criteria.
If Burns opts to head back to the west, the Vegas Golden Knights can never be out of the question. It seems like their name is associated with every major free agent that has ever been on the market. Vegas is dealing with a cap shortage, but they always find a way to make the salary cap bend to their will. Nashville would be another interesting choice, though I wouldn't classify them as contenders yet.
There's a piece of me that hopes Burns opts to sign outside of the division, preferably in the Central Division, to avoid facing him three or four times. However, I'm betting that he'll stick in the Eastern Conference. One team I felt could work was Toronto. The Leafs' defensive group is already pretty old, but another offensive weapon couldn't hurt.
Another Atlantic Division team to keep an eye on would be Detroit. The Red Wings need to do something to get over the hump, and Burns' experience could be beneficial. Detroit has a lot of excellent young pieces in place, especially on the blue line. Bringing in Burns in a mentor role could do wonders for a team on the verge of making the playoffs.
Really, it's anyone's guess where Brent Burns will end up when free agency begins. This exercise could all be for naught, and the Hurricanes could opt to re-sign him. I'm not sure how popular that move would be with the Caniacs, but Rod Brind'Amour had high praise for the veteran during his exit interview and wants to see him return. We'll just have to sit back and wait for it to play out.