San Jose Sharks: All-Decade Team for the 2010s

Defenseman No. 1: Brent Burns

There have been some beloved players in Sharks history already on this list, but there may be no player more beloved than Brent Burns.

The longtime fan-favorite emerged as one of the NHL’s best defensemen in the 2010s and his stellar production backs that claim up. Burns already has the fifth-most points in Sharks history and only the three aforementioned names on this list have topped him in assists.

And while he may be in the midst of a down year at the moment (as most of the roster is), his 2018-19 season proved to be his most successful campaign to date.

Burns finished the season with a career-high 67 assists and 83 points pacing all NHL defensemen. And his 83 points were the most by any defenseman since the 1995-96 season when Brian Leetch of the New York Rangers managed 85 in a year.

While Burns will sometimes get criticized for his offense-first mentality, it’s still clear that he’s one of the best defensemen in the game today — as evidenced by his 2017 Norris Trophy.

And that award isn’t the only hardware he’s taken home.

Burns was given the Sharks’ Fan Favorite Award in three consecutive seasons from 2016 to 2018 proving his popularity among San Jose faithful.

It’s hard to think of a Sharks player more recognizable to the general public — the beard helps — than Burns and his incredible production and popularity over the years earns him a spot on this list.