It was UFA Centres this coming year. Is there a suitable upgrade on Jokinen and can the Jets attract that player?
While Burmistrov is not of the talent level to change the team he certainly has enough to be influential. If the Jets are committed to draft and develop as their talent acquisition process shouldn't Burmistrov be a part of that process? I would think and hope so.
That will not be the case, at least within the fold of the Jets organization. Burmistrov will continue to grow as a player and person regardless of where he plays but will the Jets want or like what he becomes?
In the end it's a tough pill to swallow for many fans. Winnipeg is a place that wants to be 'liked' and desired by those not in it. Having a Russian player who plays for his hometown team in a city that is nearly the Russian equivalent to Winnipeg is a struggle for some to accept. They keep returning to the question 'why not here?'
To answer that question Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has to come clean and discuss the real issues that keep the player and team divided. Until then, fans will look from afar, wonder what it will take to get the popular player back and what the team could be with him on the roster. They'll also be ready to criticize should the alternative option(s) not pan out or measure up to a known entity.
That's the risk to the draft and develop strategy. Whey your draft pick doesn't agree with your process they have other options and the team has nothing to develop. The Jets have other options too but it appears Chevy is not prepared to use them at this point. When depth is an issue, and it is for the Jets, the risk of having nothing for Burmistrov has a bigger impact than it would for most teams. Apparently the Jets can afford that risk.