POLL: What do you think of the Brent Burns contract?

We know the details of the contract and I took a look at how the deal will affect the Sharks’ ability to get things done in the future. Now let’s hear your thoughts on Brent Burns’ new contract.

First, here’s my take on the deal. The Sharks need Burns to continue to contend for the Stanley Cup and keeping him was always going to be expensive. He’s an extremely rare player in that he scores like a forward while playing as a defender. His heavy ice time and unique style of play make him extremely valuable, which is why he’ll be making a healthy salary for the next eight seasons.

This chart, from corsica.hockey, shows Burns (the blue dot way on the right) among his peers from the last few seasons. He’s way over on the right because he scores at a clip that just doesn’t exist when it comes to other defenders. It doesn’t! There’s no precedent for this kind of player in the NHL. So yes, the contract is huge.

Will this contract look good when he’s 40 years old? Probably not! Okay, fine, definitely not. The Sharks are paying a premium for locking up Burns through the rest of his prime and maybe in eight years I’ll be really upset about that. Then I’ll remember how he led the team to their first ever Stanley Cup title and stop being such a grump.

Go vote, it’s your duty.