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Sharks Sign Brent Burns To An Eight Year Extension

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The San Jose Sharks announced that they have signed an eight year extension with defenseman Brent Burns.  ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun was first to report that the deal was done (Twitter link).  LeBrun also adds that the deal is believed to carry a cap hit of $8MM.  Earlier today, it was reported that that the two sides had made considerable progress towards a new deal.  In a follow-up tweet, LeBrun notes that the deal is front loaded and contains signing bonuses.  He also will not have a no-move clause but will have a limited no-trade clause.  Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports (via Twitter) that Burns has a three-team trade list.

The breakdown of the contract is as follows, per CapFriendly:

2017-18: $3MM salary, $7MM signing bonus
2018-19: $4MM salary, $6MM signing bonus
2019-20: $5MM salary, $5MM signing bonus
2020-21: $2MM salary, $8MM signing bonus
2021-22: $4MM salary, $3.5MM signing bonus
2022-23: $3MM salary, $3.5MM signing bonus
2023-24: $3MM salary, $2MM signing bonus
2024-25: $3MM salary, $2MM signing bonus

GM Doug Wilson issued the following statement as part of San Jose’s announcement:

“Brent is one the most dynamic players in the National Hockey League and we’re very excited to get this deal done.  He has worked extremely hard to be an elite defenseman and at six-foot-five, 230-pounds, his abilities on this ice are unique and rare. I also want to thank Hasso Plattner and our entire ownership group for their commitment to our franchise and the fans in San Jose by stepping forward and making this commitment to Brent.”

Burns has evolved into one of the NHL’s elite defensemen after being converted back to the back end following the 2013-14 season.  Two years ago, he posted a career high of 60 points and then followed that up with a 75 point campaign last season, the second highest point total among NHL defenders.  That earned him a nomination for the Norris Trophy for the top defenseman in the NHL; he finished third in the voting.

"MarThe 31 year old is off to another strong start this season with seven goals and nine assists in 19 games to lead all NHL blueliners in scoring.  In 815 career NHL games, Burns has 437 points (147 goals and 290 assists) along with 535 penalty minutes.

While the cap hit of $8MM per season isn’t too surprising, him getting eight years may catch some by surprise.  He’ll now be paid through his age 40 season and it’s very rare for defensemen to remain elite into their early 40’s.  However, as is often the case with long-term deals for veteran players, the Sharks are likely content with the risk knowing that Burns is currently in the prime of his career.  Back in September, we took a closer look at his contract situation and projected a seven year extension with an AAV of $7.875MM.

His $8MM cap hit places him second in the NHL among defensemen behind Nashville’s P.K. Subban ($9MM) and just ahead of Montreal’s Shea Weber ($7.857MM).

The deal takes the best blueliner (and arguably the best pending unrestricted free agent period) off of the market next summer.  Kevin Shattenkirk (St. Louis), Dmitry Kulikov (Buffalo), Andrei Markov (Montreal), and Michael Stone (Arizona) are among the prominent pending UFAs on the back end at the moment.

The Sharks can now turn their focus to their two other prominent pending UFAs up front in forwards Joe Thornton ($6.75MM) and Patrick Marleau ($6.67MM).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Burns, Ramo, Pouliot, Steen

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The Sharks and pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Brent Burns are making progress on a contract extension, reports ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun (Twitter link).  He does, however, note that the deal is not yet done.  LeBrun also adds in a follow-up tweet that there are still some deals to be ironed out but that lots of progress has been made.  Speculatively, one of the areas that likely would be getting worked on is the amount of no-trade or no-move protection and how it may vary – if at all – over the life of the contract.

Last season, Burns finished second in points among all NHL defensemen with 75 while he averaged just shy of 26 minutes per game.  He’s off to another strong start this season with seven goals and nine assists in 19 games; his 16 points lead all blueliners.

Back in September, we took a closer look at his contract situation and suggested that he could be in line for a seven year extension with an AAV of $7.875MM.

Other news from around the league:

  • Unrestricted free agent goaltender Karri Ramo is close to receiving the green light from doctors to return to game action, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston (Twitter link). Ramo is currently skating with the Maple Leafs but does not have a contract, similar to UFA left winger Brandon Prust.  While the goalie market has been quiet as of late with Andrew Hammond passing through waivers, Ramo could draw some attention as potentially a cheaper option for teams.  He could also take a minor league deal to get in some game action and showcase himself to potential teams that way.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned defenseman Derrick Pouliot to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL on a conditioning stint, the team announced. The former first round pick has spent the bulk of the season on injured reserve with a lower body injury and last played on October 21st, his lone game of the season.  The Penguins plan to play him in three minor league contests and then be re-evaluated by team doctors next week.
  • Blues forward Alex Steen is not with the team on their two-game road trip although the team hasn’t ruled him out of playing the second game on Wednesday in Washington, writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  He has missed the last two games with concussion-like symptoms (though the team is stressing that it’s not a concussion).  Steen has two goals and eight assists through 17 games this season.

San Jose Sharks Snapshots: Burns, Labanc

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Brent Burns and his potential free agency next summer is already a hot topic and will only continue to grow more popular as the season progresses with no contract extension between the blue liner and the San Jose Sharks. There is no doubt Burns is set to cash in whether he re-signs with the Sharks or heads to the open market and as Adam Gretz of FanRag Sports Network argues, Burns will be well worth every penny on his next contract.

Gretz speculates that given what similar defenseman have received, Burns should have no trouble finding a deal worth anywhere between $7MM and $8MM annually. That would place him easily among the highest paid blue liners in the game as only P.K. Subban has a contract with an AAV in excess of $8MM. But as Gretz points out, since becoming a full-time blue liner in 2014-15, Burns has more goals than anyone else at the position with 50.

Further, Burns ranks behind only Erik Karlsson in points with 149 and has more shots on goal than any other defender with 673.

Of course it’s easy to rationalize paying Burns or any other defenseman $8MM-a-year based on his current production level; the real question is how he is going to fare the longer his contract runs.

At 31, Burns is likely to get the seven-year max contract – eight if he re-signs with San Jose – which will take him well into his late 30’s. Naturally, Burns’ performance will decline as he ages and whoever signs the 6-foot-5, 230-pound defenseman will have to hope it’s a slow decline rather than a sudden one.

Assuming Burns finishes the current campaign strong he has a strong chance to join an accomplished group of defenders who have averaged 0.80-points-per-game or better between their age 29 and 31 seasons. According to Gretz, just 16 others have done that and many of those played during the 1980’s when scoring was significantly higher than it was in any other era. Gretz takes it further, noting that those blue liners saw on average a 19% decrease in point production over the four years following that stretch between 29 and 31. If Burns follows that same trend he would still be a 50-point scorer in year four of his next contract.

Granted, Gretz’s analysis does leave open the likelihood that Burns’ performance will decline further in years five through seven. In fact, he may well not be worth what he will be paid during those seasons but that’s a risk every team that signs a big money, long-term deal accepts. The hope is to get enough surplus value in the first half of the pact to offset the losses likely to be seen in the back half.

In other San Jose Sharks news:

  • An unlikely top prospect, Brooklyn-born Kevin Labanc, who was selected by the Sharks in the sixth round of the 2014 entry draft, made his NHL debut last week. In five contests since joining San Jose, Labanc only has one point. But the rookie winger had his best game so far, as Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area reports, playing on a line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski in Thursday’s loss to St. Louis. Labanc notched his first NHL goal and nearly had another later in the game. The Sharks are going to need more games like that from the youngster as they may be without the services of Tomas Hertl for a while.

Injury Notes: Hertl, Sharp, Bortuzzo

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Tomas Hertl has flown back to San Jose to undergo an MRI on his knee, according to Kevin Kurz of CSN. The Sharks forward injured himself in the second period last night, leaving the game and not returning. While the extent of the injury is unknown, “waiting for MRI results” has not been a nice feeling for fans around the league of late; both Steven Stamkos and Taylor Hall received terrible news following trips home for examination.

If Hertl is to miss any length of time, it would adversely affect a Sharks squad that is already having trouble scoring goals. With 39 goals scored, they rank ahead of only the Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference. While the team is still carrying a positive 9-8-0 record through the first 17 games, losing one of their top scoring threats would be devastating.

  • Patrick Sharp is set to make his return to the lineup Saturday night for the Dallas Stars. The veteran sniper has missed the last fourteen games with a concussion suffered on a hit from Brayden McNabb in October. The consistent scoring threat is coming off his eighth 20-goal season, and hoping to reach that mark again in what is a contract year for the 34-year old. Sharp is earning $5.9MM this season in the final year of a five-year, $29.5MM deal signed way back in 2011. Even at his advanced age he’s likely to be looking for a multi-year contract to end his career.
  • The Blues are starting to get healthier, as Robert Bortuzzo will be returning this weekend as well. The defenseman has missed the past ten games with a lower-body injury, though it’s not a guarantee that he’ll crack the lineup right away. As Ken Hitchcock points out “The one challenge for us is we’re carrying lefty-righty right now and it’s working, so that’s something we’ve got to think about also.”  With Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk ahead of him, Bortuzzo would have to beat out Colton Parayko to skate on the right side, which is much easier said than done the way the 23-year old has established himself this season.

Islanders’ Notes: Halak, Lineups, Injuries

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As the New York Islanders try to right the ship and get their season back on track, they welcome the defending Stanley Cup Champions tonight. The struggling Islanders sit dead last in the Eastern Conference and have been unable to find an answer to their offensive woes.

Tonight, the team will start Jaroslav Halak for his seventh straight game after starting the year with a three-goalie rotation. Halak has done his best with what’s in front of him this year, as even with a .904 save percentage he’s still carrying a 3.09 GAA. Surely he’d like to improve both numbers, but it’ll be tough against Sidney Crosby and Co.

  • The team will look to shake things up tonight, as Shane Prince will get back into the lineup, putting them back to 12 forwards (they’d been playing with 7 defensemen recently). Scott Mayfield will return to the press box after playing just under seven minutes in their last game. Anthony Beauvillier will move back to the middle, while Ryan Strome moves up to the first line on John Tavares’ wing. The team will also reunite the fourth line of Casey Cizikas, Nikolay Kulemin and Cal Clutterbuck, after a failed attempt of Clutterbuck on the top line.
  • Dennis Seidenberg, one of the Islanders’ effective blueliners is skating with the team, but can still barely eat through his broken jaw. He’s still a while off from getting back into game action according to head coach Jack Capuano, who doesn’t expect it “to be any time soon”. The other injured Islander, Ryan Pulock, is getting closer, but isn’t expected to play on the upcoming west coast road trip, when the Islanders will face the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings in four nights.

Pacific Division Notes: Burns, Kopitar, Virtanen

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Assuming he resists overtures from the Sharks to sign a massive extension first, Brent Burns will hit free agency next July as one of, if not the top player on the market. In fact, as Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News writes, his situation closely mirrors that which confronted Steven Stamkos last season.

Like Stamkos, Burns will be a much-desired commodity if he reaches the open market. And just like Tampa Bay, the Sharks surely want to retain their star player. Though again, like Tampa Bay, San Jose will want to do so at a price less than that which Burns will be able find in free agency.

Of course the situation has already generated a lot media attention and will continue to do so until a resolution is reached. For many players, his pending free agency can prove to be a distraction and perhaps even impact his performance on the ice. That doesn’t seem to be the case to date for Burns as the 31-year-old blue liner has already tallied six goals and 14 points through 15 contests. But should Burns struggle with the attention and seek advice on how to handle things, he has a good resource in his friend Stamkos.

As Pashelka notes, the two players have known each other for more than two decades and spent some time together this summer. But according to Stamkos, Burns didn’t broach the subject of his free agency:

“Can’t say we’ve had a lot of discussions about it. I’m definitely open to a conversation if it comes a point where he needs somebody to talk to. But I know Burnzie. He knows what he’s doing.”

Burns certainly enjoys playing in San Jose and likely will give the Sharks every opportunity to extend his contract. Surely the Sharks will hope that Burns, like Stamkos, decided to forsake the probability of more money to remain somewhere he is happy.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:

  • It looks like the Kings may have dodged a bullet as the upper-body-injury suffered by team captain Anze Kopitar is considered day-to-day, reports Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times. Kopitar appeared to injure his wrist/upper arm area when taking a spill along the boards in the third period of the team’s tilt with Ottawa. Kopitar, one of the NHL’s best centers, did miss this afternoon’s game against Winnipeg but the fact he’s been listed as day-to-day is good news for a team that dropped to 7 – 8 – 1 after today’s shootout loss to the Jets. The 29-year-old native of Slovenia is off to a slow start production-wise, with just eight points in 15 games.
  • Earlier this week the Vancouver Canucks assigned 20-year-old winger Jake Virtanen to their AHL affiliate in Utica. However, as reported, the team recalled Virtanen today after he saw action in two games this weekend for the Comets. Virtanen is off to a tough start to the campaign with just one point, an assist, in 10 games with Vancouver. He was also held off the scoresheet this weekend while suiting up for Utica. Virtanen did not play today in the Canucks 5 – 4 win OT win over Dallas.

 

Garrioch’s Latest: De Haan, Johnson, Sharks Goalies

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Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun posted his latest Insider Trading column over the weekend.  Here are some of the highlights that pertain to trade rumblings from around the NHL:

  • Not only are the Islanders shopping goaltender Jaroslav Halak, they’re also looking to deal defenseman Calvin de Haan. The 25 year old has become a quality second pairing stay-at-home defender for the Isles while logging at least 19 minutes per game over each of the last three seasons.  One potential reason for him hitting the block is his back-loaded contract.  De Haan is in the final year of a three year deal that has a cap hit just under $2MM but a salary of $2.9MM.  As a result, his qualifying offer in June must be $2.9MM which may be more than the team is willing to pay.
  • The Blue Jackets are looking to clear some salary and while they haven’t been able to find a taker for Scott Hartnell, it’s also believed that they would be interested in dealing blueliner Jack Johnson. The 29 year old is in his sixth season with the team after being acquired from Los Angeles as part of the Jeff Carter trade.  While he has put up a 40 point season in Columbus, his scoring has tailed off since then while his ice time is also down this year.  He carries a cap hit of just over $4.35MM for this season and next which could limit his suitors unless the Jackets are willing to take a comparable contract back.
  • The Sharks have been looking around the league for a backup goaltender but have not had any luck so far. San Jose is currently running with 27 year old rookie Aaron Dell but have given him just one start so far this season.  Starting netminder Martin Jones only has 110 career regular season games under his belt so on the surface, a veteran backup would appear to be something that the Sharks could certainly benefit from.  However, they have less than $11K in cap space at the moment so any deal would have to send some salary out the other way.  Garrioch suggests that forwards Tommy Wingels and Matt Nieto could both be had.

San Jose Sharks Recall Kevin Labanc

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The San Jose Sharks have decided he’s waited long enough, and have recalled 20-year old Kevin Labanc from the AHL. No word on the corresponding move, or whether Labanc will feature in the lineup right away.

After being selected in the sixth round of the 2014 draft, Labanc has done nothing but score. 234 points in the following two years of junior made him a can’t-miss prospect in the Sharks system, and after making his AHL debut in last year’s playoffs, he was off to a scorching start in his rookie year. The forward has 10 points in 6 games, and will now see if his up-tempo game and playmaking ability can work at the next level.

For the Sharks, a team that is trying to get younger while saying goodbye to its older core, Labanc represents the next wave of talent. The 5’11” actually plays more of a physical game than one would expect, and can dominate on the powerplay with his crisp passing ability. Whether the Sharks, who currently rank 12th in the NHL will use him on the man advantage is unclear.

With Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau likely exiting San Jose after this season, the team needed to start looking forward to who will fill their top-six next year.  If Labanc can find any success as a rookie this season, perhaps he’ll be ready to skate alongside Tomas Hertl next year, on one of the top two lines.

Franchise Faceoff: San Jose Sharks vs Pittsburgh Penguins

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Tonight in San Jose two teams who went to battle nearly five months ago to determine who could lift hockey’s greatest trophy, will be back at odds fighting for just two points. The Sharks and Penguins will match up in what should be an outstanding game of hockey, not only because of the recent history but the immense skill on each side.  The Penguins have followed up their championship season with a great 7-2-2 start, while the Sharks have sputtered a bit at 6-5-0.

Each team has an incredible puck moving defenseman on the back end in Brent Burns and Kris Letang, and deep forward groups. They play very different styles, with Pittsburgh flying in straight lines down the rink, while San Jose prefers a slightly slower, possession based attack. They do both have great futures, with players like Tomas Hertl and Olli Maatta only starting to hit their true potential.

It may lie in the financials that these two teams diverge however, as the Sharks have a number of big name players hitting free agency this summer, while the Penguins are locked into long-term deals with all of their top guns. You might see these differences in different ways however, as the Sharks will have plenty of freedom once Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau move on, while the Penguins will have little room to sign another big ticket.

So tonight, when the two teams who dominated the hockey world last season come together, we ask you to decide which roster (not all the franchise perks that go with it) would you rather have, if you were building a team for this season and the future?

Which roster would you rather have?
Pittsburgh Penguins 86.11% (155 votes)
San Jose Sharks 13.89% (25 votes)
Total Votes: 180

Penguins Notes: Murray, Sheary, Hagelin

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will take on the San Jose Sharks tonight in a rematch of the Stanley Cup Final from last season, and there will be a familiar face in net. Matt Murray will make his second start of the season after allowing just a single goal in his debut against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. Even though Marc-Andre Fleury has played exceptionally well to start the year, head coach Mike Sullivan says both netminders will continue to play, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

We’re fortunate. We have two really good goaltenders that we know are going to give us a chance to win. We’re going to do our best to keep them both in the mix. We’ll go from there. These situations always have a way to work themselves out. Inevitably performance is always the dictator.

Mackey expects that Murray’s play tonight will factor large in the decision of who to start on Tuesday at home, though it’s up in the air from that point. The team doesn’t have another back-to-back situation until November 18th and 19th.

  • The Penguins will get some help up front to try and score some goals for Murray, as Conor Sheary will return from a seven game absence to play tonight. Sheary suffered an eye injury last month in Montreal and has been itching to get back into game action.  According to Mackey, he’ll start on the fourth line with Matt Cullen and Eric Fehr, though he could quickly ascend back up the lineup. Sheary has one goal and two assists on the season in just four games.
  • The ’HBK’ line (Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel) is officially broken up, according to Adam Gretz of NBC. The trio that was so dominant in the playoffs is now spread out over the Penguins top three units, with Hagelin skating alongside Sidney Crosby and Patrick Hornqvist.  As Gretz notes, Hagelin brings a lot of the same aspects that Pascal Dupuis added so effectively to Crosby’s wing over the years. Hopefully it will spark something in the speedy winger, as he only has two points on the season so far.  Kessel on the other hand is off to a great start this season and now finds himself skating alongside Evgeni Malkin and Chris Kunitz. #81’s ten points this year trails only Malkin on the Penguins, and he leads the team in assists.

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