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Report: Burmistrov interested in NHL return, but not with Jets

Timothy T Ludwig / USA TODAY Sports

Alexander Burmistrov is ready and willing to return to the NHL, but reportedly isn't too keen on resuming his career as a member of the Winnipeg Jets.

Speaking on TSN 1290, Slava Malamud of Sport-Express.ru referenced a Russian report indicating the 22-year-old forward "will almost certainly return to NHL" in 2015.

"He's being kind of diplomatic there, but the vibe I caught from that exchange when I read it in the original Russian was that he's not too hot on the idea of coming back to Winnipeg, and he might want to try his luck somewhere else,” Malamud said. 

Burmistrov, drafted eighth overall by the Thrashers-turned-Jets in 2010, didn't see eye-to-eye with the club's since-deposed head coach Claude Noel, and Malamud said the young forward will be looking for a more expanded role than he was previously given in Winnipeg:

The vibe I got from him was that he didn't really like it anymore in Winnipeg. Not necessarily the city, but he didn't like the way he was being used. One of the phrases he said was, ‘I'm willing to go to any club that's willing to let me play.' That sort of implies that the Jets didn't let him play, or didn't let him play the way he wanted to play.

I think Burmistrov still thinks he can be a top six guy in the National Hockey League, whether there are NHL clubs who think the same, that's the question. I don't think he's going to make it as a grinder.

It's believed that Burmistrov engaged in positive dialogue with current Jets bench boss Paul Maurice, but it's yet to be determined whether a coaching change will be enough to entice the young forward to move back to Winnipeg. 

[H/T Pro Hockey Talk]

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