Brent Burns doing his best Red kelly

[yave1964]

Brent Burns has been a quasi-star player for the Minnesota Wild and the San Jose Sharks, an offensive defenseman who has holes in his game on the blue line that he makes up for with his size and his ability to move and fire the puck. Essentially halfway through his career, he is being moved to forward, playing the Wing where he will be a six foot five behemoth and the hope is he will be able to adjust to the forward role and take advantage of his obvious skills and hide his glaring weaknesses.

He excelled down the stretch with the position change last year, a true power forward, a giant forward playing mostly with Joe Thornton for the final 23 games, he had 9 goals and 11 assists for a total of 20 points in 23 games. He has been moved up to forward on occasion throughout his career and this seems to be a natural move for him. A monstrous power forward with a snarl and the willingness to crash the net seems to have been a natural match with Joe Thornton. Slick passing to a big body out front who is impossible to move seems ideal.

Mid career position switches for stars or near stars are rare, Red Kelly, a hall of fame defenseman for the Wings who finished his career with eight sterling seasons playing center for the Leafs comes to mind as the ultimate example. Kelly, who won eight cups (the most of any Non Montreal Canadien) had played a little forward in a pinch for the Wings was coming off a severely broken ankle with the Wings which robbed him of a lot of his maneuverability used his hockey IQ to star with the Leafs Dynasty that ushered out the original six era. Others have done it Ken Houston not a star but a hell of a hockey player with the Flames bounced between forward and defense in the seventies and early eighties, it is rare that it has any long term success but I have felt for a long time that Burns was a man out of position and give the brain trust in San Jose credit for seeing it and giving him this opportunity.

[J0e Th0rnton]

Brent Burns has been a quasi-star player for the Minnesota Wild and the San Jose Sharks, an offensive defenseman who has holes in his game on the blue line that he makes up for with his size and his ability to move and fire the puck. Essentially halfway through his career, he is being moved to forward, playing the Wing where he will be a six foot five behemoth and the hope is he will be able to adjust to the forward role and take advantage of his obvious skills and hide his glaring weaknesses.

He excelled down the stretch with the position change last year, a true power forward, a giant forward playing mostly with Joe Thornton for the final 23 games, he had 9 goals and 11 assists for a total of 20 points in 23 games. He has been moved up to forward on occasion throughout his career and this seems to be a natural move for him. A monstrous power forward with a snarl and the willingness to crash the net seems to have been a natural match with Joe Thornton. Slick passing to a big body out front who is impossible to move seems ideal.

Mid career position switches for stars or near stars are rare, Red Kelly, a hall of fame defenseman for the Wings who finished his career with eight sterling seasons playing center for the Leafs comes to mind as the ultimate example. Kelly, who won eight cups (the most of any Non Montreal Canadien) had played a little forward in a pinch for the Wings was coming off a severely broken ankle with the Wings which robbed him of a lot of his maneuverability used his hockey IQ to star with the Leafs Dynasty that ushered out the original six era. Others have done it Ken Houston not a star but a hell of a hockey player with the Flames bounced between forward and defense in the seventies and early eighties, it is rare that it has any long term success but I have felt for a long time that Burns was a man out of position and give the brain trust in San Jose credit for seeing it and giving him this opportunity.

heh. I have liked what i have seen so far. Hertl being on that line is going to improve it as well. Hertl has been playing very well so far