Slowly But Surely … Bright Light Shines for the Future
Uploaded on January 31, 2007 (flickr.com)
by rainypete
In one of the deepest drafts seen in a long time, the Montreal Canadiens selected, with their 10th pick in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Belarusian Andrei Kostitsyn. Expected to go as high as fifth overall after an impressive display at the U18 Championships, it was slightly unbelievable that he was still available for the 10th pick – but with a draft that saw the availability of Marc-André Fleury, Eric Staal, Nathan Horton, Tomas Vanek, Dion Phaneuf & Ryan Getzlaf among others, it wasn’t an easy one to predict.
Despite his superior speed & puck-handling skills, his booming shot, his lightning-quick release and his good hockey sense, Kostitsyn came to Montreal for training camp in 2004 with key health concerns and a relatively non-existent defensive game. Plagued by a series of epileptic seizures during his stay, the young Kostitsyn underwent several tests that revealed a common form of epilepsy [Nocturnal Frontal Lobe Epilepsy – for all you Grey’s Anatomy fans out there], which doesn’t affect his game. Along with a severe back injury and smaller bumps and bruises, the question of whether or not he would able to sustain his intensity and excel that the AHL or NHL level was on everyone’s mind. Thankfully, he has had no major injuries since.
Since playing with the Hamilton Bulldogs, he has improved from a dismal rookie performance in 04-05 of 23pts in 63 games [12G, 11A] to an improved turnout in 05-06 of 47 points in 60 games [18G, 29A], despite having the team’s 2nd worst plus/minus of -14 and 76 PIM. So far this season with the ‘Dogs, Kostitsyn has 52pts in 50 games [21G, 31A] and a dominating +24. Needless to say, Kostitsyn has much improved defensively and has earned his recent call-up with the big boys. It may have taken a whole season for him to adapt to North American hockey, but it looks like the payoff in the future is going to be great.
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