On Wednesday evening, the Avs announced the signing of Brent Burns to a one-year deal as the 40-year-old defenseman prepares for his 22nd NHL season. The team kept the contract details quiet, but according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the deal includes a $1 million base salary with up to $3 million in games-played bonuses. Not bad for a guy old enough to have played against Jaromir Jagr… and still chasing the puck like he’s 25.
We have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Brent Burns. pic.twitter.com/UNtkSPSmFq
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) July 3, 2025
Burns hits the Mile High City after a full 82-game campaign with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he notched six goals and 23 assists for 29 points while averaging nearly 21 minutes per game. The man doesn’t miss time, either—he’s riding the fourth-longest ironman streak in NHL history at 925 consecutive games. At this point, Burns is made of titanium and stubbornness.
In his 1,497-game career, Burns has racked up 910 points (261 goals, 649 assists), along with 24 goals and 80 points in 135 playoff games. Most notably, he helped lead the San Jose Sharks to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 and claimed the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 2016-17 after a monster 76-point season.
A former Minnesota Wild first-rounder (20th overall, 2003), Burns also spent 11 seasons in San Jose before being traded to Carolina in 2022. Now, Colorado becomes his fourth NHL stop, and he brings with him a résumé few can match—plus that unmistakable caveman beard, which deserves its own banner in the Pepsi Center rafters.
At 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds, Burns remains a physical force, finishing second on the Hurricanes in blocked shots last season (98). Since his debut in 2006-07, he ranks 19th in NHL history with 1,785 blocks. Not bad for a guy who also moonlights as a part-time Viking.
In Colorado, Burns will likely slot in as a right-shot defenseman behind Cale Makar and Josh Manson, giving the Avalanche some serious depth on the right side. The left remains solid with Devon Toews, Samuel Girard, and Sam Malinski. The Avs did lose Ryan Lindgren to Seattle and saw Erik Johnson and Tucker Poolman hit free agency, making Burns’ arrival both timely and savvy.
With playoff pedigree, durability, and still enough gas in the tank to frustrate opposing top lines, Brent Burns could be a sneaky key addition for a team eyeing another Stanley Cup run. Plus, it never hurts to have a guy who can scare the puck into the corner just by staring at it.