Brent Burns Trade Analysis

After the jump, of course.

Why I like It

The addition of young talent is something Chuck Fletcher is keyed in on, and this proves it. We will never know what the contract demands would have been, what Burns would have wanted to stay here, or if the Wild were willing to pay it. The fact that he was traded seems to indicate they either didn't want to, or felt they would be unable to. Either way, Burns is traded, so we don't get to know. 

Why I Hate It

I like Brent Burns. He is was, without a doubt, my favorite Wild player. That comes from a personal and purely selfish affiliation with him through Defending the Blue Line, and I am absolutely sorry to see him go. He is a class act human being, with a heart of pure gold and a love for the military personnel of both the United States and Canada. He will be sorely missed by DTBL here in Minnesota, but I am sure will be a great asset in spreading the word to the Bay Area.

On the ice, I still feel he was the best defenseman the Wild had. That opinion is not shared by all here at Hockey Wilderness, but it is mine. Zidlicky has offense, Schultz has defense, Burns had both. He is still young and developing, and that development was destroyed by injury and by the worst coaching decision Jacques Lemaire ever made. 

His play was, at times, erratic, and we let him have it when it was. I still don't know how much of that was him, and how much was Todd Richards or Burns trying to do too much. He was certainly fun to watch. 

The Final Say

The only thing I know for sure is that I am going to miss Brent Burns being around. He was one of the few the old regime got right. Great kid at the draft, developed into an all-star, and has upside still to find. If the end result is Burns being the next Norris trophy winner in San Jose, and hoisting a Cup, I will cheer every second of it. I will forever be a Brent Burns fan, and I wish him absolutely nothing but the best in San Jose. 

I am not happy about it, but I understand it. It is good for the team, and for the organization, but it is still painful. Growth is painful. Objectively, it is a good trade. Full of biased thought? I don't like it. But that is for me to deal with, not the team. Good on ya, Mr. Fletcher for making another bold move. 

Thanks for your time here in Minnesota, Brent. Good luck going forward.