Center Search – Alex Burmistrov

An often forgotten name in the NHL today is that of Alex Burmistrov, a former top-pick of the Winnipeg Jets. Burmistrov had a fallout with the coaches in Winnipeg following the 2012-13 season, and decided to play this past year in the KHL, where he will likely stay for the 2014-15 season. The Jets still hold his rights, but the odds he ever plays for them again are slime to none.

The Contract:

Burmistrov is currently a RFA, and carries no cap hit. Due to not having a contract, the Oilers would simply be trading for his rights. They’d have to sign him as well, and that would likely require a two or three year deal worth somewhere around $2-$3 M per season. I’m spit-balling numbers, but the point is he would need to be enticed to comeback.

The Player:

Burmistrov is exactly what Edmonton seems to love, he’s a young and highly skilled player. He’s only 22 years old, fitting right in with the current cluster of Oilers players. He was drafted in 2010 with the 8th overall pick by then Atlanta, so he’s in the same class as Taylor Hall.

There are obviously some questions about character here. He left for Russia, so the big one is of course can he be trusted to be loyal to the team. I don’t particularly think that will be an issue, but it will be asked. Another common question will be asking about if this guy is a cancer in the dressing room, considering his beef with the Jets coaches was a big reason why he left.

Alex Burmistrov was never a player that had injury problems in his three NHL seasons, so that isn’t a concern. He is a smaller guy however, standing in at 6’1” and just 180 pounds.

The Style:

Burmistrov is more of a play-making center, but is a guy that has never been able to light up the score-sheet at the NHL level. He posted just ten points in 44 games in 2012-13, and had only 28 in 76 in 2011-12. His rookie year saw just 20 points come in 74 contests.

He wasn’t evolving as an offensive option at the NHL level, and wasn’t really a goal scoring threat. He simply was not producing at a top-six level for an NHL player, and that’s something to keep in mind.

That said, his possession numbers were pretty good considering the teams he played for. He posted a 51.5% Corsi for in 2012-13 for a Jets team that wasn’t very good in that regard, and posted an extremely impressive 53.1% mark for the Thrashers in 2011-12. He struggled in his rookie year, posting a 46.5% mark for the Jets.

Overall, he was a decent NHL player according to the Corsi stats, which is a pretty good compliment considering the teams that he was on. It’s also worth noting that his best Corsi year and best offensive year came under the guidance of Craig Ramsay, new Oiler assistant.

As far as special teams goes, Burmistrov was actually rarely used on the power-play, which is interesting considering his skill. That said, he was used quite a bit on the penalty kill, implying that he was trusted a bit as a defensive forward.

The Ransom:

This is interesting, because I highly doubt that the Jets get too many inquires about the young Russian. I have no idea what a possible asking price could be here, and wonder if the Jets simply want to rid themselves of this player and just recoup some sort of asset for him.

I could see the asking price being a prospect or a draft pick, but that’s about it. There is no way Winnipeg is going to be able to get a roster player for him. If I’m Craig MacTavish, I’d consider offering a draft pick or a prospect like Curtis Hamilton up to see if I could nab the rights to this player unlikely to ever return to the city of Winnipeg.

The Final Call:

He’s certainly not the best option, but in my mind Alex Burmistrov is the most interesting option to fill the Oilers hole at center on the second line. Offensively he isn’t exactly a fit, but he’s a solid defensive forward with good Corsi stats according to the numbers I could find. One imagines with the skill in Edmonton he could find his offensive touch that made him a top-ten prospect.

He’d come relatively cheap in terms of what it would take to get his rights, but he’s a total wildcard in terms of ever coming over to the NHL again and what his contract demands would be. That said, he’s an option, and just because he’s in the KHL doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be considered as an option for 2014 or even beyond.