Brent Burns

[faucette78]

I have been watching old tapes of the WJHC from 2 years ago, and I am consistently impressed with Burns. In the tourney he displayed some very good skating, cycling and playmaking skills on a line with Carter and Getzlaf. I don't think he posted a goal in the tourney but I have been very impressed, eventhough it is about the hundredth time I have watched the tapes. I didn't see him his first year and this last year in the ahl, but was wondering if the move to defence was a little premature? But who am I to question the Minni brass. What are your thoughts? (note: sorry if this thread already exists )

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[MN_Gopher]

If he is a d man is am disapointed as i fell Mark Stuart the next pick is better d man. I think he was drafted as a d man that was playing forward. IMO the wild new in the future he be moved. I want him as a forward. Do not like the move at all.

 

[Jacob]

He's wasting his development by switching positions in the last 3 years.

 

[clefty]

I have concerns over defenseman who switch to forward and then back to defense before they're 19.

 

[thestonedkoala]

*sighs* God, you guys should watch Burns sometime okay? I mean seriously.

The kid was uncomfortable with being a forward and both the Wild and him felt it would be best if they moved him back out to defense. He's only 19 for God's sake! He hasn't wasted any time developing. The kid is an awesome defenseman and played extremely well on a shakey Aeros team this year. He has a lot more development but he looks pretty damn good for a 19 year defenseman. I mean what do you expect?

He crashes the net, has good size, mobility, skating, a good shot. He is becoming reliable in his own end. The kid is going to be a top 4 pairing easily.

 

[faucette78]

*

He crashes the net, has good size, mobility, skating, a good shot. He is becoming reliable in his own end. The kid is going to be a top 4 pairing easily.

This sounds like he has good skills as a power forward, especially the idea about crashing the net.

As well, you talk about being uncomfortable about playing up front. In the WJHC he was not uncomfortable and you have to realize those skills would have increased over time. The year he was drafted he grew like 4 or 5 inchs from the beginning of the year to the end. So he is just now getting use to his new body.

 

[ceber]

He was drafted as a forward, but they knew he could play D. An injury gave him the opportunity to do so at the NHL level, and he took to it pretty well. He liked touching the puck more. They kept him at D in Houston and he was OK. If he's able to do both he'll be valuable. Maybe he won't be as good as he could be if he concentrated on just one position, but I don't think he was top-flight talent at one position anyway. A multi-dimensional guy is good to have, and as has been pointed out, he's very young. There's way too much worry about some of these kids. "What about his development?!" Screw that. He's 19 years old. Any ice time with NHL caliber players will improve his game. Hell, put him in net. (Maybe that's the one spot it wouldn't help...)

 

[MN_Gopher]

He was a -11 not great d numbers. Second worst on the team. Now 27 points on the blue line is respectable. I'd rather he struggle with playing forward than being a 6'4 d man with 57 penalty minutes and a negative +/-. Tells me is O minded does not take care of his end all that great and does not use his frame to toss people around. If you tell me he is still growing and learning the physical side of things then i say let him learn forward then. He may be versatile and that is great. But a first round swing man, it was not worth the pick. With Stuart, Pouliot, and Kesler right behind him.

 

[Jacob]

He crashes the net

What, his own net?

A multi-dimensional guy is good to have

Certainly. I'm sure Ian Moran will be a hot commodity once the lockout ends.

 

[firstroundbust]

What, his own net?


Certainly. I'm sure Ian Moran will be a hot commodity once the lockout ends.

lol

 

[Hedberg]

Brent Burns is far better at forward than he is at defence.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I'm sorry but I'm laughing at all your comments.

The problem with Burns this year is the fact that no one helped him out in the forward position. He would have a lot more assists from the blueline if someone actually helped him out by helping to crash the net. Wanvig and Foy didn't do that and other than those two, they didn't have a real big, opposing forward that could camp out and collect the rebounds Burns put up.

His partner I believe was with Reirden, Giroux, or Traverse, I can't remember.

And I think ceber is wrong, I think he'll excel at the defensive position if they continue progressing him there. I mean the kid shot up from what? 5'10" to 6'5" the year before the draft? Let him get use to his body and let him play the position where he likes.

How can we say he is far better at forward than defense? Are you guys actually sitting down talking with the Wild coaches and watching all of his old game films and watching him play night in and night out? Or are you just saying that because of a few WJC games?

Burns was UNCOMFORTABLE at forward position. No matter how good you guys think he is, an uncomfortable player is never going to excel at a position he doesn't like.

Give Burns time on defense, let Lemaire teach him. Look at guys like Henry, Zyuzin, Kuba, and Mitchell for God's sake! They aren't the greatest defensemen in the world but Lemaire got stuff out of them!

And while we're throwing around stats...

Why doesn't Michalek play forward? He was a -10 in +/-. Hell why was he even on the team last year?

Erskine was a -5...

Mikko Koivu was -1...So much for a two-way center...

Bouchard was a -2, so much for a offensive-center...

Seriously! Let the kid develop! Tell me any other 19 year old forward-turned-defenseman that did as well as he did last year? It's not the points on the board but how much the guy has developed in the season.

 

[MePutPuckInNet]

Burns is an average hockey player. He's "okay" at a lot of things. That's useful, to be sure....but, he's not a "top-talent" at anything - offense or defense.

The Wild picking him in the first round was a joke then and it's a joke now. But, like I said, I don't think the kid's entirely useless either. He'll do alright. Not gonna blow your mind, but he'll be serviceable. That wouldn't change no matter what position they play him, though....I think defense is where he belongs. I think HE thinks defense is where he belongs, too. If he's more comfortable there, then why not?

They already blew the first round pick, can't change that. Might as well make the best of it.

And for the one hundredth time he's NOT a "19 year old forward-turned-defenseman". He's a 19 year old defenseman who was turned into a forward for ONE season in the OHL [and he wasn't all that good at it then, either], then after being drafted as a forward he was sent back to Blueline Land where he should be...

 

[Seachd]

And for the one hundredth time he's NOT a "19 year old forward-turned-defenseman". He's a 19 year old defenseman who was turned into a forward for ONE season in the OHL [and he wasn't all that good at it then, either], then after being drafted as a forward he was sent back to Blueline Land where he should be...

He's not even that, because he's been 20 for a while.

 

[HSHS]

I question how many of you have actually seen him play over the last year. While I must admit that I have never seen him play forward, it is my belief that he will easily be a top 4 D-Man for the Wild.

He skates well, passes extremely well, and actually has good positioning skills. Is he overpowering, no. As a Caps fan, I would much rather have him over Eminger or Morrisson (probably based on not being able to see them play as much).

Side Note: I've seen about 20 games last year from center ice about 6-9 rows back. I spent most of the time watching Burns and Koivu cause I think that's what minor league hockey is for. My girlfriend calls Burns "my boyfriend" to everyone since I'd sit there and comment on him throughout the entire game. We both play hockey with many people who work for the Aeros, including "Chili". She says that she's going to get Burns to sign me a jersey: "from your boyfriend". I'd told her I'd kill her.

 

[HSHS]

Burns is an average hockey player. He's "okay" at a lot of things. That's useful, to be sure....but, he's not a "top-talent" at anything - offense or defense.

The Wild picking him in the first round was a joke then and it's a joke now. But, like I said, I don't think the kid's entirely useless either. He'll do alright. Not gonna blow your mind, but he'll be serviceable. That wouldn't change no matter what position they play him, though....I think defense is where he belongs. I think HE thinks defense is where he belongs, too. If he's more comfortable there, then why not?

They already blew the first round pick, can't change that. Might as well make the best of it.

And for the one hundredth time he's NOT a "19 year old forward-turned-defenseman". He's a 19 year old defenseman who was turned into a forward for ONE season in the OHL [and he wasn't all that good at it then, either], then after being drafted as a forward he was sent back to Blueline Land where he should be...

Can't argue too much with that except I think that you are underestimating him a bit... but probably not much.

 

[MePutPuckInNet]

He's not even that, because he's been 20 for a while.

fine...I stand corrected, his DOB is March 9, 1985.....a month younger than that other no good Wild prospect, Patrick O'Shwatevah.

 

[firstroundbust]

fine...I stand corrected, his DOB is March 9, 1985.....a month younger than that other no good Wild prospect, Patrick O'Shwatevah.

*slaps the haterade out of dis lames hand*

 

[MN_Gopher]

At number 20 i do not want a top 4 d man. I still think and i have said many times. Mark Stuart will probally be a top 2 d man. Plays physical and will probally wear a C. Burns i do not think will. There was a better D man out there and we choose a project that got abandoned. To me Burns is just like Kuba. Big does not play like it and will log lots of minutes.

 

[Juan]

Burns is an average hockey player. He's "okay" at a lot of things. That's useful, to be sure....but, he's not a "top-talent" at anything - offense or defense.

The Wild picking him in the first round was a joke then and it's a joke now. But, like I said, I don't think the kid's entirely useless either. He'll do alright. Not gonna blow your mind, but he'll be serviceable. That wouldn't change no matter what position they play him, though....I think defense is where he belongs. I think HE thinks defense is where he belongs, too. If he's more comfortable there, then why not?

They already blew the first round pick, can't change that. Might as well make the best of it.

And for the one hundredth time he's NOT a "19 year old forward-turned-defenseman". He's a 19 year old defenseman who was turned into a forward for ONE season in the OHL [and he wasn't all that good at it then, either], then after being drafted as a forward he was sent back to Blueline Land where he should be...

You must have spent more time in Boston than in Mississauga.

Burns was a forward all the way up in minor hockey in Toronto. He was drafted by Brampton as a center from the GTHL champion Jr. Canadians, where his teammates included Anthony Stewart and Geoff Platt. Check out the draft list from the 2001 OHL draft, where he is listed as "RC", to confirm that.

He played one year for Couchiching in the OJPAHL. Couchiching was quite old and deep at forward, so he was going to have trouble getting quality ice time. Instead, the coach moved him to D, where he played most of the year, although he played occasionally at forward. I saw him play a few times on D - you could see he had very good raw tools and a nice, lanky frame, but he was clueless as far as defensive positioning went.

 

[Brock]

I really like Burns. I was a huge supporter of his before the 2003 draft even. I always liked his potential. The change to defense doesn't change that for me. Well actually I feel he has more potential from the defensive end.

People just have realize that he's a very raw player, and he was a project pick by Minnesota. He's still growing into his body, like a lot of big players. IMO he took a huge step this year in the AHL. I didn't expect him to put up nearly the amount of points he did from the blueline.

Like I've said before, he's a 6'5 defenseman, who is a tremendous skater, has excellent hands, goo instincts for the game. Has a cannon of a shot. And as he grows more accustumed to everything, I believe he will become more physical. He's always shown spurts of it, going back to the OHL. He just needs more confidence. I think he's got a lot more potential then people are giving him in this thread.