Alex Burmistrov was an international man of mystery when he first crossed the pond to play junior, a first-rounder who cracked the National Hockey League at 18 because of his seemingly endless offensive upside.
Instead, what came next was an "enigma" phase and a fallout with his coach that saw him portrayed either as a victim or as immature. He retreated back to Russia and the KHL for a couple of winters and then returned to establish himself as a reliable defensive player.
And now Burmistrov is teasing again with a recent flash of wizardry that has fans, media and the Jets coaching staff wondering what they have here with this gifted Russian, even after over 300 pro games, 265 of them in the NHL.