puck7x Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 With the 10th overall selection in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, the Canadiens selected forward Andrei Kastsitsyn from Russia's Central Army. Kastsitsyn, a 6-foot, 189-pounder who turned 18 last Feb. 3, is described by The Hockey News as someone who "could be the sleeper of this year's draft". Kastsitsyn entered the draft ranked 13th by THN and was listed as the No. 3 European skater by the Central Scouting Bureau. While some scouts suggested Kastsitsyn might in fact be the most skilled player in the draft, his overall ranking and status may have been affected by the fact he suffers from epilepsy, a condition he has dealt with effectively for many years. The native of Belarus underwent a thorough examination from Canadiens' doctor David Mulder earlier in the month in Toronto, the results of which were evidently convincing for Montreal GM Bob Gainey, Director of Player Personnel Trevor Timmins, and the rest of the club's top brass. Speaking through interpreter and Canadiens' Russian scout Nikolai Vakourov, Kastsitsyn expressed his delight at being selected by Montreal. Kastsitsyn noted he was hoping to be picked in the first round, yet had no idea as to when and by whom. "He's a player with a wealth of talent who's creative with the puck," Vakourov added. "In regard to his health, he's undergone extensive tests and any concerns about his condition have been laid to rest." Kastsitsyn's stock rose through his performance in the World Junior Championships in Halifax this past winter. Listed as the No. 15 European skater by the CSB when the mid-term rankings were released, the winger impressed scouts during the tournament when he was the dominant player on the Belarus squad, using superior smarts and skills to succeed despite being the target of unrelenting attention by the opposition. "He has great skills and is a thinking man's player," a scout was quoted as saying of Kastsitsyn in THN. "To be an '85 (born) and play in the Russian league is very good." Though viewed by some as lacking size, Kastsitsyn showed he wouldn't back down from any challenge in the recent WU18 tournament, racking up 15 points in six games for Belarus (six goals and nine assists) while totalling 28 penalty minutes. Part of Kastsitsyn's on-ice success is attributable to not only his fearless nature but his speed. He is described as an above-average skater with fast acceleration and good lateral movement who can take a hit. His wrist and slap shots are reportedly quick and heavy, adding an additional dimension to an offensive game that shows much promise. -------------------------------------------- GREAT PICK!!! I love this guy ... superstar potential ---- Andrei Kastsitsyn, W, 6-0, 189, 2/3/85, CSKA (Russia): 6 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PTS, 2 PIM One of the more intriguing prospects in this year's draft, he's ranked third among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting. The native of Belarus has a medical condition that some teams believe is epilepsy but others think is cataplexy, a somewhat less serious affliction. There is agreement, however, that he has the skills to flourish in the NHL. He made a favorable impression at the World Junior Championships, totaling two goals and an assist in six games. But he was even better at the World Under-18 Championship with six goals, nine assists and 28 penalty minutes in just six games. There are some concerns over a lack of size. ----------------------- RLR is going on record right now: we love everything about this kid and believe he's the best player in this draft. The only reason he's #4 on oru list is fear over his back injury. An explosive, genuine game-breaker. Hard-driving natural scorer plays with passion. If he doesn't have puck, he'll go get it. Great 1-timer. Flashy skater is very shifty and makes all moves at top end speed. Great stamina: plays 30 minutes per game and never seems tired, always eager. Great stick-handler and soft hands, great touch around net. Reads play well and is able to pick off passes in neutral zone and turn into offence with quick-strike transition game. Tremendous stride and an extra gear he usses to separate from defenders. Excellent offensive instincts. Not averse to playing a chippy, physical style. Best of all is his never-say-die attitude ona badly outmanned Belarussian squad. Continues to play hard and come back deep in the d-zone late in lost-cause games. --------------- Andrei Kostytsin 2002-03: Kostytsin built on his successful 2001-02 international performance by raising the bar even higher during the 2002-03 season. During the summer of ’02, HC CSKA signed the young player to a multi year contract, bringing him to Moscow from Belarus. He was flat out one of the best players on the U18 squad, finishing his pre draft year on a very high note. Unfortunately, besides his international performance, the scouts would have had a hard time to find the talented right wing playing in Russia. He spent most of the season skating for CSKA’s junior team, and though individuals close to the team know that he impressed during the Super League club’s tryouts, the scouts would not have known that if they simply went to watch a regular season game. After skating in only six games for CSKA during the first half of the season, Kostytsin was loaned by CSKA to Khimik Voskresensk. While the local fans were impressed with him, he didn’t stick around long enough to make an impression, as the terms of his loan expired in late February, and he managed to skate in only two games for Khimik. 2003 NHL Entry Draft: Kostytsin is entering the draft with a comparable hype to what Anshakov and Kaigorodov experienced last year. While many have him drafted early in the first round, he is more likely to get picked up either in the latter half of the first or early in the second round. A complete player, Kostytsin has a lot of potential. Outlook: Kostytsin is still under contract with CSKA. Look for the young winger build on his last season’s success and earn a spot in the Super League club’s lineup. He is not likely to man one of the two top lines, but will still make an impact, remaining in the lineup for most of the season and collecting about 10-15 points ------------ [Edited on 2003/6/22 by puck7x] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAussiePosse Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 Do you think he'll stay in Russia one more year, then come over to Montreal with Zhog? Wouldn't that be great!!! well... C"mon #61!!! Now we have someone to compare with Shoe!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs77 Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 The Hockey News: Andrei Kastsitsyn could be the sleeper of this year's draft. An epileptic, his ranking and status on draft day could be determined by the willingness of an NHL team to look past the condition's stigma. Kastsityn, from Belarus, will be checked out by doctors in June; what they say will carry weight in the selection process. He played with Moscow's Red Army this season, which speaks volumes about his promise. "He is very smart. To be an '85 (born) and play in the Russian league is very good," said a European scout. "I saw him play a couple of very average games and he stilled scored. He has great skills and is a thinking-man's player." Kastsitsyn made an impression at the WJC in Halifax. He was the dominant player on Belarus and went hard every shift. He did not have much of a supporting cast, but carried on despite being on the receiving end of constant mugging by his opponents. He's not huge, but he's smart with the puck. "He does not have the size, but I say he has the smarts and could be great," said a scout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs77 Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 Sports Illustrated predicted we'd take him: 10 RW Andrei Kastsitsyn Central Army (Russia) 6' 0" 189 2/3/85 The Canadiens have enough depth in their organization that they could afford to take a bit of a risk drafting Kastsitsyn this high. Kastsitsyn, an epileptic, is this year's high-risk, high-reward selection. If his medical concerns check out, he may emerge as one of the top forwards from this draft class. Or he could wash out without much of a whimper. But the Habs are set on defense for the future with Ron Hainsey and Mike Komisarek, so taking a gamble on a potential superstar like Kastsitsyn would be a bold stroke by new general manager Bob Gainey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs77 Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 And there's a little something for everyone with talented players of all styles and sizes available. If it's pure gamebreaking ability you're after, nobody beats Belarussia's Andrei Kastsitsyn. The fiery winger has a rare mix of skill and desire. Plenty of snipers know what to do with the puck once you get it to them in scoring territory. What sets Kastsitsyn apart is that he'll do all the hard work to go get the puck, then he'll steam his way through traffic into scoring position and finish off his own play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs77 Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 "Scoring for Belarus were Mikhail Grabovski and Vadim Karaga. Karaga also picked up an assist for a two-point outing. Andrei Kastsitsyn dazzled the crowd with some outstanding stickhandling and individual play for the Belarus team." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAussiePosse Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 They talk a lot about him being a great individual player, with great individual skills. What's he like with a team though? :idea: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puck7x Posted June 21, 2003 Author Share Posted June 21, 2003 We are looking so good for the future now. We had our superstar goalie : Theodore We had our potential bigtime d-man : Komisarek Now we get the POTENTIAL superstar gamebreaker forward : Kastitsyn Not to mention the supporting cast of prospects like Higgins , Perezhogin , Hainsey... EVERYONE has great things to say about Kastitsyn , the only bad thing people can bring up is his health issues .... and those arent even a big deal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAussiePosse Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 that's who we drafted. maxim lapierre. http://centralscouting.nhl.com/amplayprofs...ce?OpenDocument http://www.rocket.qc.ca/Autresaison/0203/n...date=news19sept Maybe physical, but Koivu physical, not QUintal physical Looks like he played with Urquhart on the ROckets. I'm not happy with the picks thus far. Not at all. I guess i'll go to sleep now. it is 7:30 in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs77 Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 If you missed Woodlief's June 18th chat, (part of) the transcript follows: ken, from michigan: Hi, Whats your take Andrei Kastsaitsyn? At the time of the WJC he was a "who, what, huh" player and now he's getting a lot of hype. Where do you think he'll be drafted? thanks! Kyle Woodlief: I really have no idea what the hell you're talking about since Andrei Kastsitsyn was in Red Line Report's first round in our pre-season report last August, had already moved into our top 15 by November, and was among our top five after the World Jrs. in Halifax. Maybe you didn't know who he was, but everybody else certainly did. Frankly, if you take away the concerns over his epilepsy and potential back problem, he's clearly the best player in this year's draft -- period. Roselle PK: If you had the No. 1 pick, who would you pick as the best player available? Kyle Woodlief: At Red Line we believe that Andrei Kastsitsyn is the clear cut choice as No. 1 overall, if you are absolutely 100% convinced that his epilepsy/back issues won't be a longterm problem in his career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puck7x Posted June 22, 2003 Author Share Posted June 22, 2003 Gazette article , mainly about Kastitsyn.... http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgaz...5F-20EB26FA11A7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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