Brent Burns is on the move.
As free-agent deals continue to roll in on Wednesday with the market opening roughly an hour ago, the Carolina Hurricanes dipped their toes into the trade pool to improve their roster, acquiring defenseman Brent Burns from the San Jose Sharks along with Lane Pederson in exchange for Steven Lorentz, goaltending prospect Eetu Makiniemi, and a conditional 2023 third-round pick.
As per the terms of the deal, the Sharks will also retain 33 percent of Burns’ $8 million cap hit for the next three seasons, meaning that Burns will now count for $5.28 million on the Hurricanes’ cap through the 2024-25 season.
Burns might be approaching age 40 with his best years behind him, but he’s still a remarkably productive offense-first defenseman. Suiting up in all 82 games last season, Burns scored an impressive 10 goals and 54 points while logging a whopping 26 minutes per game in the Sharks’ top-four.
Will Burns provide any defensive value at this stage in his career? No. Burns is a decidedly one-way player these days, with his primary value being racking up points from the back-end while offering not much else. But the Hurricanes employed a player with that exact resume last season in Tony DeAngelo, now swapping out a potentially volatile locker room presence for one of the more well-liked players in the league.
At a reduced cap hit, Burns could provide some hidden value for the Hurricanes and will likely mesh quite well with former Jack Adams Rod Brind’Amour.
It’s a hectic day in the NHL. And the biggest moves have yet to come.
