Former 8th overall NHL pick makes stunning move and signs new contract with Maple Leafs organization

Alex Burmistrov is heading to the ECHL.

The Cincinnati Cyclones have added the 34 year old center to their roster for the 2026-27 season, a stunning landing spot for a player who was once viewed as a franchise cornerstone in the making.

Burmistrov was selected 8th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers back in 2010, arriving in North America with a reputation as a smooth skating, high IQ pivot who could eventually anchor a top line.

He spent parts of five seasons with the Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets before bouncing to the Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks, finishing his NHL run with 101 points in 348 games.

The production never matched the draft slot, and by 2018 he was back in Russia for good.

From there, Burmistrov carved out a respectable career overseas, winning the Gagarin Cup with Ak Bars Kazan in 2018 and later suiting up for Dynamo Moscow and the Shanghai Dragons.

He left Shanghai this past June, and after months without a landing spot, he is now trading the KHL for the Cyclones, an affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Marlies.

For the Cyclones, adding a player with 348 NHL games and nearly two decades of pro experience is a significant depth boost heading into the season.

Burmistrov brings a level of pedigree the ECHL rarely sees, and his presence should raise the profile of a Cincinnati lineup already building around several returning veterans.

Whether this is a short stopover or the start of a longer North American comeback attempt remains to be seen, but for now, Burmistrov is set to lace up in the ECHL for the first time in his career.

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