Boring is certainly not a word that can be used to describe Burmistrov's introduction to the NHL.

By the time he was 25 years old, the native of Kazan, Russia, had already been a top ten selection in the NHL Draft, made his NHL debut as a teenager, switched cities with a franchise and taken - and returned from - a two-year sabbatical at home in the Kontinental Hockey League.

A versatile forward who favors playing up the middle but is capable on either wing, Burmistrov grew up wearing the number eight as a tribute to countryman Igor Larionov and patterned his game after Pavel Datsyuk.

The influence of those two defensively-responsible centers show up in Burmistrov's game. His best hockey often comes in his own end and without the puck as his coaches consistently trust him to be among his team's leaders in shorthanded minutes.

After the Atlanta Thrashers selected Burmistrov with the No. 8 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, the former star with Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League stepped right into the Thrashers lineup. He made his NHL debut as an 18-year-old on Oct. 8, 2010 in Atlanta's season-opening 4-2 win against the Washington Capitals.

Burmistrov scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 29, 2010 in his 10th NHL game, helping Atlanta to a 4-3 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres. The goal also gave Burmistrov his first scoring streak, coming on the heels of his first NHL assist in the Thrashers' previous game against the New York Rangers.

The following season, Burmistrov had an assist on Oct. 9, 2011 in the inaugural game for the Jets in Winnipeg. On Oct. 17, 2011 he assisted on both goals in a 2-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins that gave the Jets their first victory. Burmistrov scored his first goal with the Jets on Oct. 19, 2011 against the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of what would become a six-game point streak. He finished the season tied for seventh on the Jets in goals (13), 10th in scoring (28 points) and fourth in takeaways (42).

After the abbreviated 2012-13 season, Burmistrov played two years in the KHL before returning to Winnipeg for the 2015-16 season. Once again, Burmistrov played a valuable role as one of the leading penalty killers on the Jets and ranked third among Winnipeg forwards with 36 takeaways.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• Transferred to Winnipeg after Atlanta franchise relocated, June 21, 2011.
• Signed as a free agent by Kazan (KHL), July 8, 2013.
• Signed as a free agent by Winnipeg, July 1, 2015.
• Claimed on waivers by Arizona from Winnipeg, January 2, 2017.
• Signed as a free agent by Vancouver, July 1, 2017.