SK will still be an RFA next summer. You want to watch a motivated player this season? Look no further. This contract is Poile telling SK that he is going to be given the opportunity here to prove everyone wrong and SK saying, "bring it on!"
Kostitsyn is going to be one highly motivated player next season trying to say, "screw you" to Montreal and at the same time earning himself a big payday next summer...
I honestly predict a breakout year for SK. The ball is in his court and there's no doubt that he has the skill or the motivation to reach his full potential this season.
$550k. Poile is a genius!!!
That is pretty well set up. Got my fingers crossed for the kid; it'd be nice if he could turn things around. Hope he does end up performing well...
...well, outside of games against the CBJ, but that should go without saying for me.
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The one thing that worried me in the first translated interview we had was when Kostitsyn was asked when he'd report to Nashville and he said he thought training camp started in mid-September... I was hoping to hear him say he'd move here to get a head start and work on his conditioning in Nashville. So I was a bit concerned.
But signing this deal so quickly does seem to say he will be ready to let his play do the talking. Great deal. We really need what he can bring so he will have every chance to do well. Poile must have shown him that.
Hopefully for you guys he shows up in better shape than he ever showed up to the HABS camp he was out of shape and oer weight when he came to camp then complained when he got relegated to Hamilton. Good luck but I honestly do not hold much hope for this kid he was self centred and bigger than the team when he played in London and the same in Montreal.
That is pretty well set up. Got my fingers crossed for the kid; it'd be nice if he could turn things around. Hope he does end up performing well...
...well, outside of games against the CBJ, but that should go without saying for me.
I'll take 76 games of highly motivated with a player of his skill anyday. Think about the number of "unmotivated" games we've witnessed over the past few years from our recently departed veteran "leader". I take that trade any day!
I don't know how he pulled this off but I bet a bunch of teams wish they could have made a trade if they could get him at that price. I really like this for both camps.
Great move by Poile. Very low risk and high reward chance. Sometimes a new begining does some players a lot of good. Right now I don't know how the lines will shape up but it will interesting to figures it out and to how it really figures out
Assuming SK comes in with the right attitude I can't wait to see him as a Pred. So much untapped potential for so cheap. I absoutely loved what Poile has done this summer. I was very pissed off when the season ended and demanded that their be changes and some sort of shake up. I think Poile has wildly met my own personal expectations. The team that hits the ice this October has the potential to be the best "on paper" team we have had since 06-07.
I am usually a "the glass is half full" kind a guy. But... from what most have said in Montreal, his effort does not match his potential. And the first time Trotz calls him out in the Tennessean, he's gonna be pissed, not motivated to try harder. Sounds like a fragile ego. Come on guys, every team has this type of personality. They are VERY difficult to coach. I'd love to be wrong on this one. He has tons of potential. But this kind of player rarely changes.
Great move by Poile. Very low risk and high reward chance.
No doubt. Kostitsyn is very talented and at 550K, he could end up being one of the biggest bargains in the NHL if he finds his game. The guy has top 6 talent and I wouldn't be surprised if he plays on St.Louis' top two lines. With the skills he has, he could be a threat on the powerplay. Jacques Martin never utilized him in Montreal and played players like Mathieu Darche instead.
This could easily end up as the steal of the summer in the NHL. If SK puts up 20 goals and is a key in the preds making a playoff run, Poile should be exec of the year.
I am usually a "the glass is half full" kind a guy. But... from what most have said in Montreal, his effort does not match his potential. And the first time Trotz calls him out in the Tennessean, he's gonna be pissed, not motivated to try harder. Sounds like a fragile ego. Come on guys, every team has this type of personality. They are VERY difficult to coach. I'd love to be wrong on this one. He has tons of potential. But this kind of player rarely changes.
The fact this guy took league minimum when he could have went to Europe and made more money is a pretty good indicator this guy wants to stay in the NHL. I'm not naive to think SK hasn't heard what people are saying about him. He knows he will be on a short leash. Losing your job and money is the biggest motivation you can possibly have and this is what SK is fighting for and hey if he decides to be disruptive this is a low risk move
The biggest on-line sports outlet in Belarus is pressball.by. The Kostitsyns are stars in their home country and of course, this is big news for them. Here is a translated link to a story that ran on June 30, after Sergei found out he'd been traded but before he had talked to anyone from Nashville. The actual interview with him is around the middle third of the story. Also the photo up top shows how all his teammates hated him....
Wow, I knew it was bad in Montreal, but that was the first I heard that he had to deal with the "Canadian militia".
Seriously, a $550k deal says all the right things. We know what his abilities are, the question has always been what his character is. I trust Trotz enough to deal with any bad attitudes either by straightening them out or shutting him up, and Poile is too consistent on matters of character to put up with stuff, so worst case, he's a headcase and the coach and management deal with him one way or another, team moves on, no loss of assets as you really wouldn't have used Boyd anyway and it's league minimum salary at worst.
But the upside, wow. This is exactly what a mid-spending team needs to do to play above the payroll, I've always been a Poile fan, and today he's repaying that faith.
SK had an injury last summer and couldn't train. He came to camp over weight and out of shape. Bob had promised him a NHL spot (may be misunderstood - lost in translation) He had more NHL games played than a few prospects and has better skill. One could understand his reaction when he was sent down.
SK wants to be treated fairly. I hope he won't over react again. I like his game. He is not a grinder. But he is an intelligent player. If he is playing with a closer/shooter, he'll have a lot of assists. I miss him.
I am usually a "the glass is half full" kind a guy. But... from what most have said in Montreal, his effort does not match his potential. And the first time Trotz calls him out in the Tennessean, he's gonna be pissed, not motivated to try harder. Sounds like a fragile ego. Come on guys, every team has this type of personality. They are VERY difficult to coach. I'd love to be wrong on this one. He has tons of potential. But this kind of player rarely changes.
I would hope Trotz does not single out a player. That is kind of rude to do publicly. In fact when has he ever done that??
Call him out in the dressing room in front of the guys and your a smart coach, call him out in front of the media and bring locker room problems to the media?? that is stupid coaching.
I am happy Sergei signed, lookin forward to seeing a great turnaround season out of him! I bet he puts up more points than Lombardi, and for $3 mill less!
Oddly enough, that brings the title of most players who wear #74 in one division to the central. (SK and TJ Oshie in St.Louis)
Only other 2 are short-lived pred Nick Tarnasky, formerly in Florida and Jay McKee, formerly in Pittsburgh.
Also, after typing that out, I realized how stupid of a fact that is.
