The San Jose Sharks have announced the club has re-signed talented defenseman Brent Burns to a five-year contract extension.
Burns, 26, was named to the Western Conference All-Star Team this past season and ranked near the top in the league among defensemen in points, goals, assists and power play goals. He was also a crucial member to the penalty killing unit.
"We are thrilled that Brent has stepped forward and made long-term commitment to the San Jose Sharks, his new teammates and our fans," said Doug Wilson, the team's general manager, "When we acquired Brent, it was our intention to make sure that he remained an important piece of our organization moving forward and we are very pleased that we have been able to do that. As an elite-level defenseman who is just entering his prime, we are looking forward to meshing Brent's skills with our existing core group."
With the price of unrestricted free agents being astronomical and the steep price it took to acquire Burns from Minnesota -- Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle and a first round selection (28th overall) in the 2011 draft were all sent in exchange for the defenseman -- this is a solid and necessary move for Doug Wilson and the Sharks.