Why is now the time to invest in Brent Burns cards at age 39?
The date was Nov. 21, 2013. That is when Brent Burns began a streak of 843 NHL games played that is active heading into the 2024-25 season.
Milestones are one of the best indicators of when a player's hockey cards will increase in value. Milestones can include a player reaching 1,000 career games, winning a Hart Trophy, winning a Stanley Cup, winning a Conn Smythe Trophy, or breaking the NHL Ironman streak for consecutive games.
Phil Kessel is the current NHL Ironman with an active record of 1,064 games played. At this point, we do not know Kessel's future.
Burns has not missed an NHL game since entering his thirties, let that sink in for a moment.
Many have claimed Kessel's Ironman record will never be broken. Burns is 222 regular season games away from breaking Kessel's record. It would take just over two and a half more seasons with out Burns missing a game. Burns would be 42-years-old at the time he could potentially break Kessel's record.
Outside of breaking Kessel's Ironman record, Burns is a six-time all-star, World Cup Gold Medal winner, and Norris Trophy winner. Burns had a solid 2023-24 regular season with 10 goals and 33 assists.
The Carolina Hurricanes have been a Stanley Cup contender for the last two seasons and that will not be changing anytime soon.
A Perfect Storm for Burns?
The window remains open for a few more years for the Hurricanes to win a Stanley Cup. Burns would be a dark horse Conn Smythe candidate based on his ability to score points in bunches.
There is a chance that Burns wins a Stanley Cup and breaks Kessel's Ironman record within a small window.
What is the Best Plan to Invest in Burns' Cards?
We are going to target raw versions of Brent Burns 2003 Young Guns cards from Upper Deck.
Yes, that really is Brent Burns pictured above.
Ungraded (commonly referred to as raw) versions of Burns' Young Guns trade for about $40 on eBay. The goal is to locate a few Burns Young Guns that have a chance to grade at a PSA 9 or PSA 10.
PSA 9 Burns Young Guns trade for a range of $50-$100. PSA 10 Burns Young Guns can fetch over $1,000.
The population count (commonly referred to as POP count) is very low for Burns Young Guns. To date, there are only 27 PSA 10 and 43 PSA Burns Young Guns in circulation. POP count is important, click here to learn why.
In short, buy a few raw Brent Burns Young Guns and get them graded through PSA. The goal is to get a PSA 9 or better. Based on the POP count and milestones Burns may achieve, raw Burns Young Guns cards are a great investment.
Happy hunting and collecting!