Sergei Kostitsyn: Just Another Example of Habs Mismanagement

by Willey

With the signing of Dustin Boyd to a one year contract, the Habs 2010-11 roster is starting to take shape.

It is still too early to tell whether there will be any additional changes however given the cap restrictions, it appears that the last piece of the puzzle was the departure of baby Kostitsyn.

Coming out of the London Knights program, Habs fans everywhere were drooling at the thought of little Sergei wearing the blue blanc rouge.

Drafted 200th overall in the 7th round of the 2005 entry draft Sergei was coming out of his first season in North America having scored 78 points in 63 games.

Initial reports claimed that he was a promising kid who had a knack for scoring and played with an edge despite his diminutive frame.
Could this have been the steal of the 2005 draft? Did the Montreal Canadiens just pull off the patented Detroit Red Wings 7th round swoop and grab themselves a Belarusian Henrik Zetterberg?

Sergei followed up that first season in the OHL with an absolute breakout campaign. Perhaps the result of playing along side Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner, Sergei finished the 06-07 season with 40 goals, 91 assists for 131 points in just 59 games.

This was truly the making of an under the radar pick.

Well here we are three years later and Sergei was yet to make a name for himself with the Le Grand Club. Was it his attitude? Was it a lack of effort? Was it immaturity?

Sure we can all point a finger at Sergei, but a large portion of this disappointment lies in the hands of the Habs management team.

Sergei is just one more player on a long list of personnel disasters that this organization has experienced. Sure I can go on and discuss every player who has failed to live up to expectation but nothing makes this argument sounder than a quick look at the first round selections.

Since the year 2000 the Montreal Canadiens have made thirteen first round selections: Jarred Tinordi, Louis Leblanc, McDonaugh, Pacioretty, Fischer, Price, Chipchura, Andrei Kostitsyn, Higgins, Komisarek, Hainsey and Marcel Hossa.

Yes, yes…..I know this has been brought up many times before and quite frankly the debate is exhausting. How many times must we hear that management should have chosen this player over that player or going out and drafting that proverbial big line center.

Let’s be honest it has been team policy to simply draft the best player available on the board.

So are the entire NHL and Central Scouting wrong?

Why is it that 30 NHL teams generally follow this rule and year in and year out take the best kid available, and see these kids make it yet the Montreal Canadiens seem to create disappointment after disappointment?

Eventually the finger has to be directed towards management, not for their selections but how they are brought along and developed both on an off the ice.

The league is full of stories of kids like Ovechkin, Crosby, Stamkos who are drafted by an organization and then taken under the wing of the veteran leadership to shape and mold into great people and budding stars.

Organizations see the need to shelter their future players from all kinds of distractions and negative influences not only for the betterment of the player, but for the good of the team.

So why do the Habs fail to do this?

Why is it that on a yearly basis we hear stories of the Kostitsyns partnering with known Mob affiliates? Stories of Guillaume Latendresse courting Quebecois Media personalities or seeing a plethora of pictures of Carey Price out late drinking and smoking with whoever is around?

Has this organization not learned its lesson with the premature departure of Chris Chelios, Russ Courtnall and Shayne Corson because of extraneous variables?

Have Pierre Gauthier and Bob Gainey before him not realized that year in and year out our first round selections fizzle off, only to leave for bigger and greener pastures abroad?

It is simply time to wake up, buckle down and start bringing along these kids slowly and securely. Let’s stop making the same mistakes and start allowing these kids to mature under the guidance of the leadership.

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Willey was the shinning light among the wicked growing up as the lone Habs fan in Toronto. Pray to Holy Ghosts of the old forum and all shall be answered I was told, and just like that my family was transferred back to Montreal and away from the damned. Olé Olé Olé.

Posted in: Bob Gainey,habs,pierre gauthier,sergei kostitsyn