The Killer Kat Kastsitsyn era may begin sooner..
Jun 22, 2003 9:23:52 GMT -5
Post by MPLABBE on Jun 22, 2003 9:23:52 GMT -5
than you think...do not discount the possibility of him coming to NA now..
www.canada.com/montreal/sports/story.asp?id=672D48E8-2C35-439F-885F-20EB26FA11A7
Canadiens opt for Kastsitsyn's offence in first round
Habs grab belarus native with 10th pick
PAT HICKEY
The Gazette
Sunday, June 22, 2003
Andrei Kastsitsyn feels he's a year or two away from playing in the National Hockey League, but the Canadiens will take a close look at their first-round draft choice.
"We'll bring him to our development camp next month and we'll talk to his agent to see where he fits in," outgoing general manager André Savard said after the Canadiens made the 18-year-old from Belarus the 10th overall pick in the NHL entry draft yesterday.
There are several options for Kastsitsyn. There's the possibility that he could play right away, he could go back to the Central Red Army (CSKA) team or he could play in Hamilton, where he would be schooled in North American hockey and English.
With Canadiens scout Nikolai Vakourov serving as an interpreter, Kastsitsyn seemed to be leaning toward a return to Moscow. He has two years remaining on his contract with CSKA, but he's free to come to North America if the Canadiens sign him before July 15.
Trevor Timmins, the Canadiens director of player personnel, said he was pleasantly surprised that Kastsitsyn was still available for the Habs.
"We had him ranked higher than 10th," Timmins said. "Our feeling is that he was one of the most talented players in the draft. Could he play right away? I think so. He's been playing in an elite adult league and he played for Belarus in the world championships."
Some teams might have been scared away by reports that Kastsitsyn suffers from epilepsy. The Canadiens had Dr. David Mulder review the player's medical records and he's convinced that, if there is a problem, it's a minor one that can be controlled.
When he was at the NHL draft combine in Toronto last month, the league arranged for him to have an MRI and an EEG, and there were no signs of a problem.
"It's not something I think about; it's not a problem," Kastsitsyn said.
Kastsitsyn's experience in the Russian Elite League was limited, but he played extensively for Belarus with appearances at the World Junior Championship and the World Championship.
Kastsitsyn, a 6-foot, 189-pounder, is described as a skilled player with good hands and a deft scoring touch.
When asked to compare Kastsitsyn with Andrei Perezhogin - a first-round draft pick in 2001, Vakourov said: "Kastsitsyn has better skills, a better shot, but Perezhogin has more greed."
Kastsitsyn was one of four players selected by the Canadiens on the first day of the draft. They selected two centres from the Montreal Rockets - Cory Urquhart and Maxim Lapierre - in the second round and then pulled a major surprise by selecting Ryan O'Byrne from Nanaimo in the Tier-2 British Columbia Junior Hockey League in the third round.
O'Byrne could be the sleeper in this year's draft. He's a 6-foot-5, 210-pound defenceman who's headed to Cornell University in the fall.
"Cornell has a great program and we expect that he'll develop into a very good player," Timmins said. "He has great size and we feel he has a lot of upside. One thing that impresses us is that he's a very good skater and you don't find that in a player his size."
There might also be a hint of a mean streak in O'Byrne. He had 118 penalty minutes in 41 games in a league not known for physical play.
Urquhart and Lapierre are both headed back to junior for another year. They'll head to the Maritimes as the Rocket moves to Charlottetown next season.
Timmins described the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Urquhart as a "big, rangy centre with good hands."
"I felt I improved a lot last year," said Urquhart, who went from 17 to 35 goals.
Lapierre, who is 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, is described as a player with a great work ethic. "We feel he has a great upside," Timmins said.
The St. Léonard native said he strives to be a two-way player who enjoys physical play.
The draft concludes today with the final six rounds.
© Copyright 2003 Montreal Gazette
www.canada.com/montreal/sports/story.asp?id=672D48E8-2C35-439F-885F-20EB26FA11A7
Canadiens opt for Kastsitsyn's offence in first round
Habs grab belarus native with 10th pick
PAT HICKEY
The Gazette
Sunday, June 22, 2003
Andrei Kastsitsyn feels he's a year or two away from playing in the National Hockey League, but the Canadiens will take a close look at their first-round draft choice.
"We'll bring him to our development camp next month and we'll talk to his agent to see where he fits in," outgoing general manager André Savard said after the Canadiens made the 18-year-old from Belarus the 10th overall pick in the NHL entry draft yesterday.
There are several options for Kastsitsyn. There's the possibility that he could play right away, he could go back to the Central Red Army (CSKA) team or he could play in Hamilton, where he would be schooled in North American hockey and English.
With Canadiens scout Nikolai Vakourov serving as an interpreter, Kastsitsyn seemed to be leaning toward a return to Moscow. He has two years remaining on his contract with CSKA, but he's free to come to North America if the Canadiens sign him before July 15.
Trevor Timmins, the Canadiens director of player personnel, said he was pleasantly surprised that Kastsitsyn was still available for the Habs.
"We had him ranked higher than 10th," Timmins said. "Our feeling is that he was one of the most talented players in the draft. Could he play right away? I think so. He's been playing in an elite adult league and he played for Belarus in the world championships."
Some teams might have been scared away by reports that Kastsitsyn suffers from epilepsy. The Canadiens had Dr. David Mulder review the player's medical records and he's convinced that, if there is a problem, it's a minor one that can be controlled.
When he was at the NHL draft combine in Toronto last month, the league arranged for him to have an MRI and an EEG, and there were no signs of a problem.
"It's not something I think about; it's not a problem," Kastsitsyn said.
Kastsitsyn's experience in the Russian Elite League was limited, but he played extensively for Belarus with appearances at the World Junior Championship and the World Championship.
Kastsitsyn, a 6-foot, 189-pounder, is described as a skilled player with good hands and a deft scoring touch.
When asked to compare Kastsitsyn with Andrei Perezhogin - a first-round draft pick in 2001, Vakourov said: "Kastsitsyn has better skills, a better shot, but Perezhogin has more greed."
Kastsitsyn was one of four players selected by the Canadiens on the first day of the draft. They selected two centres from the Montreal Rockets - Cory Urquhart and Maxim Lapierre - in the second round and then pulled a major surprise by selecting Ryan O'Byrne from Nanaimo in the Tier-2 British Columbia Junior Hockey League in the third round.
O'Byrne could be the sleeper in this year's draft. He's a 6-foot-5, 210-pound defenceman who's headed to Cornell University in the fall.
"Cornell has a great program and we expect that he'll develop into a very good player," Timmins said. "He has great size and we feel he has a lot of upside. One thing that impresses us is that he's a very good skater and you don't find that in a player his size."
There might also be a hint of a mean streak in O'Byrne. He had 118 penalty minutes in 41 games in a league not known for physical play.
Urquhart and Lapierre are both headed back to junior for another year. They'll head to the Maritimes as the Rocket moves to Charlottetown next season.
Timmins described the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Urquhart as a "big, rangy centre with good hands."
"I felt I improved a lot last year," said Urquhart, who went from 17 to 35 goals.
Lapierre, who is 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, is described as a player with a great work ethic. "We feel he has a great upside," Timmins said.
The St. Léonard native said he strives to be a two-way player who enjoys physical play.
The draft concludes today with the final six rounds.
© Copyright 2003 Montreal Gazette
