Sharks trade franchise icon Burns to Hurricanes in blockbuster originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Another Sharks staple is heading out the door after the team traded Brent Burns to the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.
The Sharks are sending Brent Burns and AHL forward Lane Pederson to the hurricanes for Steven Lorentz, goalie prospect Eetu Makiniemi and a conditional 2023 third-round pick, as first reported by The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
The Sharks and Hurricanes officially announced the trade on Wednesday afternoon.
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Per the team, the Sharks are retaining 34 percent of Burns’ contract. The 37-year-old defenseman has three years left on his contract with an $8 million annual average value, meaning San Jose will retain a $2.72 million cap hit over the next three seasons.
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Burns had a three-team trade clause that didn’t include the Hurricanes, but the trade means the defenseman ultimately agreed to the deal. General manager Mike Grier on Monday said he would let Burns “lead the way” when it came to potential trade discussions.
"Brent has been an integral part of the San Jose Sharks success over the past 11 seasons," Grier said Wednesday in a release. "His accomplishments on the ice speak for themselves and he leaves a legacy in San Jose that will be felt well into the future. We thank Brent, his wife Susan and kids Jagger, Peyton and Olivia for all they have contributed to our organization over the years and wish them the best moving forward."
Burns played in San Jose for over a decade after being traded to the Sharks by the Minnesota Wild in 2011, and the team went on to make the NHL playoffs eight times since then -- including a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2016.
The Sharks' decision to have Burns focus on playing defense turned him into a force to be reckoned with on the ice. The six-time NHL All-Star was the Norris Trophy winner as the league's top defenseman in 2017 and has 227 goals with 550 assists across 1,251 career games with the Sharks and Wild.
Last season, Burns put up 10 goals and 44 assists in 82 games with San Jose.
Burns leaves the Sharks ranked at or near the top of several franchise statistical categories, including games played (798; 5th overall, 2nd among defenseman), goals (172; 7th overall, 1st among defensemen), assists (422; 3rd overall, 1st among defensemen), points (594; 5th overall, 1st among defensemen), penalty minutes (438; 12th overall, 4th among defensemen), power play goals (7th overall; 1st among defensemen), game-winning goals (27; T-7th overall, 1st among defensemen) and shots (2643; 3rd overall, 1st among defensemen).
In return for Burns and Pederson, who is scheduled to earn $750,000 this upcoming season, the Sharks received a fourth-round draft pick in Makiniemi, who was selected by the Hurricanes in 2017 and played professionally in Finland before joining the AHL Chicago Wolves last season. Lorentz played two seasons with the Hurricanes, scoring 21 points in 112 games.
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"Steven provides our line-up some size and flexibility at the forward position," Grier said Wednesday. "He has been a productive offensive player at the American Hockey league level and we feel he will bring some needed ingredients into our line-up."
Originally selected by Carolina in the fourth round (104th overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, Makiniemi posted a 13-14-7 record, 2.59 goals-against average, .907 save percentage and two shutouts in 34 appearances with Ilves (Liiga) in Finland.
"Eetu is a promising young goaltending prospect who has had success at every level he has played," Grier said. "We're looking forward to working with him on his continuing development."
The conditional 2023 selection will be the lower of Carolina's two third round picks, which will be determined at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.
