Burns, 38, posted a season-long, three-game goal streak from April 10 to April 13 (4g) to close the regular season. His four goals led all NHL skaters last week, while his +5 rating was also tied for the league lead. The 6'5", 228-pound defenseman opened the week by scoring his fourth power-play goal of the season to tie the game in the third period against Ottawa on April 10. Burns then scored his second goal of the week in Carolina's win over Detroit on April 11 before posting his first multi-goal game of the season (2g) against Florida on April 13 to help the Hurricanes clinch their second straight Metropolitan Division title.
Burns registered 61 points (18g, 43a) in 82 games with Carolina this season, marking the most points by any Hurricanes defenseman in a single season and the fourth-most points by any blueliner in a single campaign in franchise history. He became just the second defenseman in the last 25 years to record at least 61 points in his first season with a franchise, as Scott Niedermayer also tallied 63 points (13g, 50a) with Anaheim in 2005-06. Burns' 18 goals ranked tied with Brady Skjei for the most of any Hurricanes defenseman in 2022-23, and both players tied Dougie Hamilton (2018-19) for the most by any blueliner in a single season in team history (since relocation). Carolina became the first team since 1992-93 to have multiple defensemen score 18 or more goals in a single campaign, as Burns and Skjei accounted for 36 of the Hurricanes' league-high and franchise-record 59 goals from the blue line.
