The Colorado Avalanche made a surprise signing at the beginning of July when they brought defenseman Brent Burns into the fold. My first thought, especially given that he is expected to play a lesser role than years past, is that he will be a bottom defenseman.
One thing that some people might not know is that Burns has played as a forward in the past. In fact, on his Hockey Reference page, it specifically has him at the right wing position in three of his 21 seasons in the league. Interestingly enough, they weren’t all with the same team: He played as a right wing for the Minnesota Wild in his rookie season (2003-04) and again in 2005-06 before playing the next seven years as a defenseman for Wild and then Sharks.