For the next installment of our San Jose Sharks player grades, we look at defenseman Kyle Burroughs. The 28-year-old Canadian signed with San Jose as a free agent in the 2023 offseason. The Sharks acquired him intending to make him a key defensive-minded blueliner, and while he showed some promise in this regard, he also demonstrated a number of shortcomings, which show that his career is still a work in progress.
Burroughs Was at His Best When Being Physical
Although he is approaching age 30, Burroughs is still developing, evidenced by his playing nearly the same number of NHL games this season (73) as the rest of his career (95). As such, he is trying to carve out his place on the Sharks, and he found his greatest chance of success when acting as a grinding, physical defender.
Burroughs’ isn’t a particularly strong offensive player, and his scoring numbers aren’t eye-popping — he only registered eight points this year. But he doesn’t need to be a scorer if his defense comes through. He led the team by a comfortable margin with 233 hits, and in his best games this season, he used his physicality to create turnovers and set a tone for the Sharks. Any time he can force a loose puck or throw an opposing forward off their game, he is maximizing his potential and providing the exact kind of assistance the Sharks hoped for when they signed him. And it’s not just body contact where he steps up — his 134 blocks, second-most on the team, showed that he’s open to absorbing blows of any kind to help the Sharks win.
Burroughs isn’t a perfect defensive defenseman by any stretch, but he is trying to recognize his position as an NHL role player. His heavy-hitting style exemplifies a willingness to do whatever it takes to stay in the league and contribute to winning hockey, even if his input doesn’t show up in the box score.
Sharks Couldn’t Navigate Burroughs’ Frequent Penalties
Burroughs made plenty of mistakes throughout the season as an up-and-coming defenseman, but none were more blatant than his penalties. His 71 penalty minutes—sometimes due to being overly physical—were second-highest in San Jose, and his regular trips to the box put the Sharks at a disadvantage. He constantly forced the Sharks to play shorthanded, a rough place to be for a bad team with a weak penalty kill.
Related: Sharks 2023-24 Player Grades: Mario Ferraro
Burroughs’ penalties impacted the Sharks’ penalty kill in a self-fulfilling manner. By committing penalties, he left himself unable to be a part of the penalty-killing unit and unable to provide his defensive abilities. This, in turn, made the Sharks more likely to allow a power-play goal, forcing them to play from behind. He received the fifth-highest amount of shorthanded ice time among San Jose’s defensemen but would have certainly been given more had he not been the reason for the shorthanded play so often. When coupled with his occasional defensive lapses, the negatives of Burroughs’ infractions usually outweighed the benefits of his hitting and shot-blocking abilities.
Burroughs is still growing as a player and working through mistakes. His penalties demonstrate that he still has a lot of room for improvement as his career progresses.
Final Grade: C-
Burroughs had a number of positive moments throughout the year but more negatives overall. However, this was essentially his first full NHL season, and he should get better as he gains more experience. Furthermore, he can make meaningful contributions to the Sharks in a variety of ways.
Projecting from this season, Burroughs probably maxes out as a third-pair defenseman on a contending Sharks team. He won’t be a game-breaking blueliner, but having grinders who do their jobs effectively at the end of the rotation is critical to winning. In addition, even with his relative lack of NHL time, he is still older and more experienced than a number of his current and future teammates and can serve as a leader for at least the next two seasons in which he is under contract.
Overall, Burroughs didn’t have a great season, and his prominence on San Jose’s defense is, unfortunately, a good example of why the Sharks led the league in goals allowed. But he showed many glimpses of potential and offered hope for the contributions he can make in the future. It’s a good starting point for him, even if a lot of work is needed to reach his ceiling.
