Like many players on team teal last season, Brent Burns had a bit of a down year. Scoring 45 points in his worst season in eight years.
However, this is not a career decline; this results from a fluke season tied to a microcosm of the team as a whole underperforming.
Since arriving in San Jose back in 2011, he established himself as one of the best ‘offensive’ defensemen in hockey. That comes with a flip side argument that he is a one-dimensional player and is a liability in his own zone.
These statements do have some validity to them, but it does not mean that his style of play does not work for the team.