Regarded as a very skilled offensive player ever since his days as an amateur, Andrei has shown much improvement in his defense during his first North American season playing in the AHL for the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2004-05.
Although he is not putting up major league numbers yet, Kostitsyn seems to be adapting to AHL hockey and producing more for the Bulldogs. He has recorded a point in nearly a third of Hamilton’s games this season, without playing many minutes earlier in the year.
Kostitsyn had a good showing at the World Junior Championships in December, with a particularly impressive performance in leading his country of Belarus to an upset of the defending champion Team USA.
“He has tremendous upside and should enjoy a long career in the NHL,” said one scout. “With the right development, Kostitsyn has the potential to be an all-star.”
If he takes advantage of this year in the AHL, Andrei’s game should progress enough to give him a good shot at cracking the Canadiens’ lineup next season. If not, he'll still have things to prove here in AAA for at least another season.
