Let's get this out of the way immediately: San Jose has been bad this year and it's likely not the fault of just one player. However, besides goaltending, one of the major issues with the team in 2019-20 has been shot generation, something that hasn't been an issue in the past. We may finally have one of the reasons why.
According to reporter Kevin Kurz, who covers the Sharks for The Athletic, defenseman Brent Burns has been playing through a shoulder injury. For exactly how long is not known, but reporters were made aware of the injury Sunday night.
-
Looking at Burns' shots so far this season, he's at 147 through 50 games. At nine games over the halfway point, he's yet to hit the halfway mark of his shot total for last season of 300. He had well over 300 in the three previous seasons before that. Obviously all of San Jose's problems aren't based on that one issue, but it's easy to see how it could create problems. Burns and his shot drive offense. The vast majority of his points throughout his career have come through assists, outweighing goals well over two-to-one. Rebounds and tips from shots by Burns are an important part of San Jose's offense.
At 50 games played, Burns has 23 assists on the season, well off the pace of last year's mark of 67. Given the Sharks' chances of making the playoffs this season, perhaps it's time to let Burns and his shoulder get the care it needs. Unfortunately for San Jose, finishing lower in the standings only helps the Ottawa Senators, as they have the Sharks first overall pick in the next draft.
