An NHL Network panel ranked San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns the second-best blueliner in the league on Sunday. Marc-Edouard Vlasic missed out on the top 20, and was ranked the league’s 24th-best defender.
Burns scored more points (76) than any other defenseman last season en route to the first Norris Trophy win of his career. He finished third in Norris voting the previous season, and is the only player in Sharks history to win the award or finish as a finalist (top three in voting). Erik Karlsson, the lone defenseman ranked ahead of Burns on NHL Network’s list, is the only rearguard to score more points (219) than Burns (211) over the last three seasons.