While Ottawa's Erik Karlsson and Los Angeles' Drew Doughty are the main subjects of this year's Norris Trophy debate, San Jose Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer believes Brent Burns belongs in any and every discussion regarding to the NHL's top defenseman.
"I can't understand why he's not in those conversations more for (the Norris Trophy)," DeBoer told Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News. "He's a version of (Nashville's Shea) Weber and Doughty.
"He plays well in both ends for us, plays against other team's best lines. They're big guys a lot of nights, and he brings a physical element too, which some of those guys don't. For me, he should be in that conversation all day long, and I don't understand why I don't hear his name more."
It's a sentiment shared by goalie James Reimer, who's been able to get a firsthand look at Burns' body of work since moving to California from Toronto.
"He's an animal," Reimer said after a recent win over Nashville. "He's arguably one of the best defensemen in the league right now and probably not getting the recognition he deserves."
The numbers certainly back that up, with his ranking among defensemen in brackets.
| Goals | Assists | Points | Shots | TOI/GP | Corsi (5v5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 (1) | 47 (3) | 74 (2) | 344 (1) | 25:57 (7) | 53.2 |
It should also be noted that Burns' 344 shots put him 104 clear of second-place Karlsson.
Over the past three seasons, the award has been given to offensive-minded players like Karlsson and Montreal's P.K. Subban. Burns is only five points behind Karlsson and certainly has the trust of his coach in his own zone. His all-around game is likely to earn him at least a top-three finish in Norris voting this season.
