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Winnipeg Jets’ 2016 Top 25 Under 25: #8, Alex Burmistrov

Acq’d

Truck

Arby

Matt

Andy

Derek

Trevor

Ian

Brian

Cole

Daniel

Allan

Phil

#8, 1st Rd, ’10

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13

Overview:

Alexander Burmistrov returned from the KHL after a 2 year absence from the franchise that drafted him (not the club or management!). Let's just say his return was favoured, but his play during the season left a sour taste in the mouth of the fans who loved him prior to leaving. Hailed as a replacement for the Calgary Flames bound Micheal Frolik, Burmi found some success on a line with Mathieu Perreault and Marko Dano, creating the foundation for a puck possession thrid line that a few NHL clubs would covet. In all, Burmi's play and "gosh darn" relaxed attitude sometimes drove the fans, the coaching staff and his fellow teammates nuts, but he always seemed to redeem himself, even though he put himself in the initial position. To say that Burmi is Burmi's worst enemy is not far from the truth.

Scoring Statistics:

Advanced Statistics:

AIH Authors' Thoughts:

Truck:

*sad trombone* I was hopeful that Burmi's return would be more fruitful. #BurmiBack quickly turned to #BurmiBad. Things got better as the year progressed, but it wasn't enough to prove that the early struggles were a mirrage. Will Burmi prove himself to be a realy middle 6 talent, or will this year be the begining of the end? Andy:

Burmi, as the fans call him, made his long awaited re-debut with the Jets last year, after a few seasons in the KHL. The NHL pundits waited with baited breath…has his development stalled? Is he the player we thought he was prior to jetting off back to Russia? Well, the jury is still out. Burmi played well at times, and sometimes he played his own game, kind of going against the grain of the coaching staff and fellow players, most notably Perreault, as the two of them can sometimes be seen animatedly conversing on the bench. On a few occasions, Burmi was the hero, once coming out of the penalty box and intercepting a slick pass from Wheeler, potting it into the net and going from goat to goal getter. Burmi is a project, and the RFA has one more year on his contract to convince us he should stay long term.Ian:

I hate to be the one to say it, but any hope we have of Burmi finally finding the net and putting up some serious amount of points is dead. After six years of pro hockey under his belt I'm ready to call it. That doesn't mean that Burmistrov can't be a very effective third line player. This is a make or break year for him regarding his future with the organization. If the Jets don't see an improvement, I think they'll finally cut bait.Brian:

Last season was a big let down for the Burmistrov fanboys like me. He showed some promise, but it seems the Burmistrov we saw in 2013 may not return. It's unknown where he fits into our lineup this season, but he's certainly good enough to be in the Jets lineup

Summary:

One more year on Burmistrov's contract, and it's a make or break season. Likely to be a third or fourth line center this season, Burmi's play will dictate if the restricted free agent will see a contract from the Jets forthcoming, or used as trade bait to attract some much needed defensive help.

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