Jets' Burmistrov: I'm 'like a different player' after 2-year KHL stint

Winnipeg Jets forward Alex Burmistrov said he's evolved as a player since his first stint with the club three seasons ago.

The 23-year-old has spent the last two campaigns in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan before returning to the NHL on a two-year deal on July 1.

"Two years (has) been long for me," Burmistrov told TSN's Mark Masters. "I was enjoying playing back home, but still, this is my dream (to) play here. I'm still (trying to) improve myself. Everybody (is) looking forward to (seeing) me, like a different player."

Burmistrov scored 23 goals and added 43 assists in his two seasons with Ak Bars Kazan.

He notched 23 goals and 35 assists in 194 games with the Atlanta Thrashers and the Jets before departing for the KHL.

The presence of head coach Paul Maurice - who replaced Claude Noel in 2014 - was part of the appeal of a return to the organization that drafted Burmistrov eighth overall in 2010.

"I met (Maurice) in Minsk two years ago at the World Championship," he said. "We had a good talk, and I (met) him (again) this year. I think he'll teach me lots of things off-ice and on-ice, and it's a great opportunity for me to play for him."