Amid struggles in San Jose, the Sharks are leaning exhausting on Brent Burns

Information
The Norris Trophy winner is enjoying extra minutes than he ever has in his profession and that is saying one thing. However with San Jose battling accidents and depth points, the Sharks do not actually have a lot of a alternative proper nowBrent Burns|David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty ImagesThe San Jose Sharks are struggling in October and it’s not only one facet of their recreation that’s struggling. The protection is bottom-five within the NHL, whereas the offense is bottom-10. Goaltending remains to be a problem.
After a summer season of losses that included Joe Pavelski, Justin Braun and Joonas Donskoi, there was certain to be a feeling-out interval because the franchise because the Sharks introduced a brand new era of children into the fold. Lots of these prospects are forwards, nonetheless, so with Dalton Prout and Radim Simek injured on the blueline, San Jose has stuffed in with rookie Mario Ferraro and AHL tweener Tim Heed.
The tip result’s that all-star blueliner Brent Burns is enjoying probably the most hockey of his profession proper now – and that’s a excessive bar to clear. Via 12 video games, Burns is averaging 26:31 of ice time per evening, simply three seconds behind NHL chief Thomas Chabot of Ottawa. And the Sharks have wanted Burns.
“He’s an elite athlete,” stated coach Peter DeBoer. “He’s a fantastic skater, he’s acquired a giant engine and he’s simply a type of particular guys who can go all evening like that.”
Having stated that. DeBoer would like to have his full complement of defensemen in order that Burns didn’t must play that a lot each evening, however for the bearded surprise himself, it’s all about preparation.
“Firstly of the 12 months, you are feeling good and it will get you into a greater rhythm,” Burns stated. “It’s good to get right into a routine and also you’re all the time in fine condition due to the summer season.”
However the staff’s tough begin is mirrored upon Burns within the early going. Although he leads the staff in scoring with 12 factors in 12 video games, his possession numbers are method down from final season. He’s additionally averaging practically a shot much less per recreation than he did, whereas the staff as an entire is down roughly 5 photographs per recreation versus the 2018-19 marketing campaign. That’s one other class that finds the Sharks close to the underside of the league.
“Quite a lot of instances it’s not finishing passes or not getting them by,” Burns stated. “It’s a positive line, each methods.”
The million-dollar query is whether or not the upcoming returns of Simek and Prout will make a distinction. Ferraro has loads of potential on the blueline due to his nice skating and Burns famous how impressed he has been by the rookie’s poise. However neither Ferraro nor Heed have been trusted with the identical form of minutes that Prout and Simek have traditionally been given, so perhaps simply releasing up the likes of Burns and Erik Karlsson (who can also be logging a ton of ice time, as per regular) for one more minute or two could be a optimistic. Determining that stability would be the ongoing problem for DeBoer and his workers.
Within the meantime, it’s not exhausting to see that Burns remains to be an influence participant on the Sharks. He’ll all the time get consideration due to his offensive numbers, however his teammates respect all the things he does on the market.
“He’s a fantastic participant,” stated goalie Martin Jones. “He’s powerful to play towards within the ‘D’ zone and possibly one of the best within the league on the offensive blueline at getting pucks by shortly. He’s a giant a part of our staff, for certain.”
Need extra in-depth options, evaluation and an All-Entry cross to the most recent content material? Subscribe to The Hockey Information journal.
Tags: san jose sharks, nhlConnect: In regards to the AuthorRyan KennedyRyan Kennedy is the affiliate senior author and draft/prospect professional at The Hockey Information. He has been with the publication since 2005 and in that span, Don Cherry, Lil Jon and The Rock have all known as his home. He lives in Toronto along with his spouse and children the place he listens to loud music and collects NCAA pennants.