Brent Burns signs 8-year contract with Sharks

Defenseman Brent Burns signed an eight-year contract with the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.
Financial terms were not released, but the contract is worth $64 million, an average annual value of $8 million, according to ESPN.com. Burns, 31, would have become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

"This is a great group and we had a special year [in 2015-16] and it's exciting to build on that," Burns told the Sharks website. "This is a great place to come and play, and when you're having fun it's easier to work. I don't even think of it as coming to work; the people here are great and they love their Sharks. We had a taste of last year (reaching the Stanley Cup Final) and now you just want to win, so it's exciting."

Burns was a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the League's best defenseman last season, when he had 75 points (27 goals, 48 assists), all NHL career highs.
The Sharks lost a six-game series to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final. Burns has 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) in 58 playoff games.
"Brent is one the most dynamic players in the National Hockey League and we're very excited to get this deal done," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. "He has worked extremely hard to be an elite defenseman and at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, his abilities on this ice are unique and rare. I also want to thank Hasso Plattner and our entire ownership group for their commitment to our franchise and the fans in San Jose by stepping forward and making this commitment to Brent."
Burns, who won the World Cup of Hockey 2016 and IIHF 2016 World Championship playing for Canada, has 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 19 games with the Sharks this season. He has 439 points (148 goals, 291 assists) in 816 games in 12-plus seasons with the Minnesota Wild and Sharks.
"This is a hard league, and every night it's tough and there are great teams," Burns said. "When you put yourself in the special group to fight for a chance, that's what it's about. We're trying to get back [to the Stanley Cup Final] and get over that next hurdle."