It's hard not to root for Brent Burns.
The longtime veteran spent years toiling away with the Minnesota Wild before getting a chance to contend with the San Jose Sharks. Such contention got him within two wins of the Stanley Cup, which came during the 2015-16 season when the Sharks lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins during that year's Stanley Cup Final. Burns would make the playoffs another three times with the Sharks, though he spent the next few years toiling away once again as the Sharks kicked off a rebuild.
Now, after two runs to the Conference Finals with the Carolina Hurricanes, Burns' latest attempt at winning a Cup has once again fallen short. And with Burns once again heading to free agency, it's reasonable to think that he could have played his last game in the NHL.
But it's equally reasonable to think that Burns might have a little more left in the tank, and that could be enough to get him through one more season, be it with the Colorado Avalanche or another contender.
Why Montreal doesn't lose by signing Burns
It remains to be seen if the Avs are going to re-sign Burns or not, but the Montreal Canadiens should line up an offer if Burns hits free agency once again.
In terms of the cap space the Habs would need to give up, that is a very small issue if at all; his contract with the Avalanche was a one-year deal worth $1 million. While his 35-point season could raise the price required to sign Burns, simply considering Burns' age will keep any AAV within a reasonable range. It would also make the commitment extremely minimal; the Habs could sign Burns to a one-year deal in the case that he decides to call it quits after the 2026-27 season.
The Habs also have plenty of space to sign him; the team is currently sitting on $11 million worth of cap space, and that number will likely go up should a Brendan Gallagher trade be completed. As a result, the team can sign Burns with little to no risk to their ability to improve the roster elsewhere.
Let's talk about his fit within the Habs' roster. While Burns might not be a consistent 60+ point scorer anymore, he is still capable of at least filling a depth role for any given team. The Habs could pair Burns with Noah Dobson or Mike Matheson as part of a second-line pairing that can create depth scoring, but the most enticing option could see him paired with Arber Xhekaj.
While the Habs would have to bring Xhekaj back via restricted free agency, a line with him and Burns would easily strike fear into the hearts of opposing players. Head coach Martin St Louis could easily deploy that defensive pairing as a means to create some offensive tempo or to take back momentum.
Will the Habs have significant competition for his signature?
The Habs will more than certainly have to put up with the Avalanche, who would be more than willing to fork the money up to run it back. A reunion with the Wild has also been discussed in the media.
But if the Habs were to make the case that they are truly a Stanley Cup contender and that they could be a more viable option than a Nathan MacKinnon-led Avs team or a Wild team that employs Quinn Hughes, then there should be no doubt that they would be able to bring Burns into the fold and give him one last shot at the Stanley Cup.
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