The number of players that spent time with the Atlanta Thrashers organization continues to decline, as Ron Hainsey joined the NHLPA last month, ending his playing career. That number could have potentially increased by one in free agency, but Alexander Burmistrov has decided to re-sign with Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL for the next two years.
Burmistrov, 29, was the last first-round pick the Thrashers made, selected eighth overall in 2010. He made the jump directly to the NHL, playing 74 games in Atlanta’s last season before making the move to Winnipeg. Unfortunately, his time with the organization didn’t go as smoothly as they hoped, and he was back in the KHL by 2013. After coming back for parts of three seasons, he returned to Russia again in 2017.
For Kazan this season, Burmistrov scored six goals and 17 points in 44 games. He was still young enough that a return to North America could have been possible (under certain conditions), but when Burmistrov left in 2017 he was clear that he just “wanted to go home.” He retired from the league then, and there doesn’t seem to be any desire to return to the NHL.