It looks like another former NHL-defector could be interested in returning to North America after a stint in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.
NBC Sports reported that 30-year-old Andre Kostitsyn, the 10th overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, could be interested in returning to the NHL, where he spent eight seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators, who acquired him from Montreal for a second and fifth round draft pick. Kostitsyn had 99 goals and 210 points in 379 contests with the Canadiens.
It’s with the Predators that fans probably most remember Kostitsyn, who reportedly broke curfew before Game 2 of the Predators’ second round series in 2011-12 and was suspended as a result. He ended up signing in the KHL that summer, where he has spent that past four seasons.
It’s believed that Kostitsyn has engaged in preliminary talks with unspecified NHL teams for a one-year deal. He recorded 13 goals and 35 points in 50 contests with Traktor Chelyabinsk and HC Sochi in 2014-15.
