Nashville Predators signs key forward Sergei Kostitsyn to a one-year, $2.5 million deal –NHL Update
After continuous negotiations between Nashville Predators' team management and left winger, Sergei Kostitsyn, which nearly ended in salary arbitration, both reached a deal on Friday which is a one-year, $2.5 million contract for the player.
Drafted in the 2005 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft as the 200th overall pick in round-seven by Montreal Canadiens, Kostitsyn had to continue playing in the minor league clubs like London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), because
of lack of an entry level contract with his original draft team.
“This was a good day — the arbitration case was dropped because we’ve signed all the players”, Predators' general manager, David Poile, said. “(Kostitsyn) is a guy we took a chance on a year ago, he winds up our leading goal-scorer and he’s only 24. Hopefully
last year is just a sign of more and better things to come”.
Analysts were of the view that Kostitsyn should have negotiated for more of a long-term contract, but according to others, his ability to show top level performances next season will enable him to strike an even better deal.
Kostitsyn played his first NHL season with Montreal during the 2007-2008 season, in which he appeared in 52 matchups and recorded 27 points with 9 goals and 18 assists.
The following season he continued with the club and played 56 games for a total of 23 points, 8 goals and 15 assists.
The 24-year-old from Novopolotsk, Belarus, continued to decline and managed to only put up 18 points with 7 goals and 11 assists, in his last season with Montreal in which he played 47 games, in 2010.
Eventually he was released from the club and signed a one-year deal with Nashville Predators after playing back and forth with Montreal’s minor league club, Hamilton Bulldogs in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Kotitsyn played his first full season, which was also his best and registered a career high of 50 points with 23 goals and 27 assists in 77 games played.
He also finished it off with a high plus-minus rating of 10, which just goes to show how consistent he really became over time.
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