With the 87th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Montreal Canadiens selected defence man Dmitri Kostenko.
Most draft outlets had him pegged as an early to middle 3rd round pick. If you googled his name on draft night, you may have been a bit confused. No need to worry Habs nation, the team did not select a 29 year old soccer player. Our Dmitri is more than a decade younger, and scores his goals with a stick.
Since the 2019-2020 season, Kostenko has played 85 games across the VHL and MHL levels of hockey in Russia. His point totals have been 19 in 35 games, then 20 in 50 games. This production dip is normal for players climbing the ladder of leagues.
Like many players in the Russian minor leagues, he still has areas of his game to improve upon before he is ready to make the transition to the KHL or AHL. His current playstyle lines up similarly with former Hab Victor Mete. He is a very good skater, and can carry the puck effectively in transition. He does struggle in his own zone however, and at times seems too reliant on his skating to get him out of trouble.
Kostenko is also a bit sleight of frame, as he weighs just 76 kg in spite of being 184 cm tall. Much like Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Kostenko will need to add muscle to his body in order to realize his full NHL potential.
Speaking of NHL potential, it is important to analyze what type of player he could be in 5 to 6 years for the Canadiens. After watching several of his games from the past few years, I’ve noticed that some of his skills have developed more quickly than others. After seeing how his game has grown, I feel pretty good about his chances of making it to the NHL.
Once he arrives I would predict he spends the majority of his career on the 3rd pairing, jumping to the second line only if there are injuries. His lack of consistent effort on defense will keep him from playing big minutes. Still, his comfort level carrying the puck should add special teams value, and he figures to be an asset on the power play.