Penguins: Konstantin Koltsov

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Pens75

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He had a great season last year. (03-04)

Could have had 10 more goals easy. (had some very crazy unlucky bounces)

His speed is unreal (probablly fastest in NHL), forecheck and backcheck is awesome, plays well positionally both ends of the ice, plays with a TON of heart and to the death every shift reguardless what the score is, and his energy level is contagious.

What this guy brings to the Pens is being shadowed by everything else that has taken place over the past month.

I can see him having a 20 goal season this year, but he brings so much more to the team than goals.
 
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The Kingslayer

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He had the fastest time when they did the skills competition for every team,too bad we didnt get to see him display that speed at the all-star game. Anyways, im looking forward to how well he does with his new linemates...im hoping he gets 20-25 goals.
 

Mister Hockey

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The very first shift that I ever saw him play. I thought, this guy has to be the fastest skater ever. Koltsov, has speed to burn.

Now, if he can just score a little more, he will be something special. The rest of his game is there. Maybe with all the new talent on the Pens, his scoring will increase.
 

Vlad The Impaler

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Hockey Moose said:
What the take on this 24 year old 1st round pick. I've heard the word BUST used & it makes no sence for a guy thats so young & was pretty well liked by most scouts...

Any info & predicitons?

Pretty much what needed to be said has been said.

He's a fun player to watch. One of the fastest skater, as it's been said to death. It helps him be a better player than he would be otherwise. His speed and work ethic make up for questionable hockey sense and a lack of hockey skills.

He's not a bust unless someone believed he had hands of gold "because Mario said so and he had a kickass pre-season with a hat trick". It's going to be interesting to see where the NHL goes with the new rules and if that makes a player like him much more effective.

He's a specialty player and there just aren't many like him.

On the right line, if all the stars are aligned, yeah, he could get lucky and score 20. But I wouldn't hold my breath. This guy hasn't scored ANYWHERE.

If Koltsov keeps the work ethic, he will be like fine wine. He strikes me as the kind of guy who could get better and better for a loooong time. I don't see much top end but a lot of use for this guy. There's a chance he could bloom late into something much better but it's a slim chance.
 

clefty

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Vlad The Impaler said:
On the right line, if all the stars are aligned, yeah, he could get lucky and score 20. But I wouldn't hold my breath. This guy hasn't scored ANYWHERE.

Well, he had a point per game run in the AHL playoffs a couple of years ago when Wilkes-Barre made the finals but yeah, thats pretty much it.

I don't want to say that scoring is 'secondary' for Koltsov as such, but its not the high point of his game, and I think he knows this (he'll never say it, though). He just makes things happen and accomodates for this in other ways.

But suffice to say, you wont confuse him with Ilya Kovalchuk.
 

Reaper45

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Not saying that it'd happen, but with the Pens glut of young up and coming forwards, what would it take to get Koltsov on the Kings?
 

jmelm

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Vlad The Impaler said:
Pretty much what needed to be said has been said.

He's a fun player to watch. One of the fastest skater, as it's been said to death. It helps him be a better player than he would be otherwise. His speed and work ethic make up for questionable hockey sense and a lack of hockey skills.

That last comment is inaccurate. Koltsov has never exhibited ANY signs of poor decision-making or poor hockey sense, and I have seen every televised Pens game he has played in, along with some international action. He makes quick and smart plays in all 3 zones and on the PK as well.

In addition, Koltsov actually has an EXCELLENT wrist/snap shot. His other hockey skills are at least above average (puckhandling, passing, deking, etc.)

What is lacking in Koltsov's game right now is the creativity and unpredictability that many of the game's elite offensive players have. For example, he does not hold on to the puck for that extra second, go east to west, waiting for the play to develop, fake any moves, freeze the goalie with fakes, etc. He plays more of an up and down power game. It is the question of whether this part of his game improves that will answer what kind of offensive numbers he will put up and if he'll ever develop into an elite offensive player.

At the very worst, Koltsov will be one of THE best role players/3rd liners in the NHL. With his work ethic and skills, he could really surprise to the upside.

I personally believe that at worst, Koltsov will be as good a player as Marco Sturm is, and will be that good within 2 years or less if he gets 3rd line or better ice time on a very deep Pens forward corps. And of course if that happens, he should just continue to get better and better over time.
 

DJ Spinoza

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I've seen a lot of Koltsov and paid a lot of attention to him last year (with the team being so horrible, it was easier to try to focus on the few good young guys). He has offensive skill, but he isn't consistent with it. He's done jawdropping things at times, but other times it looks like he couldn't hit an open net.

He is a good player at this point to have on a team. He could be very valuable as a third line winger because of his speed and tenacity. I remember a particular incident last year against the Rangers where he basically caught up to Jagr, played the body and then lifted his stick, stole the puck right off of him, and then blew by the defensemen and scored a goal.

The potential third line of Koltsov - Malone - Armstrong has been tossed out, and I really like the idea of it. In addition to Koltsov, Malone has the size and skills to be a shutdown center. Armstrong last year really improved and was a good defensive player for Wilkes Barre, and played with a lot of edge.

I don't know if it's a good idea to have three rookies/second year players as your checking line, but I think the potential is definitely there for it. Maybe if they were to get a veteran who could teach and lead by example some of the key things for this role, it would do wonders for them.

Back to Koltsov, while I really like his potential for the third line, I would also like to see him take shifts and be mixed in offensively. If calls on obstruction are followed through, the defenders will have a real hard time with someone as fast as Koltsov. Even if he won't finish all of his chances, his speed alone will create an immense amount of space for the other players out there.

Mixing him in with Lemiuex or Recchi or even Crosby has definite merits, and I hope he isn't relegated to the third line totally this year. Even if the long term goal is third line checker, there will be situations where his speed should be taken advantage of.
 

Big McLargehuge

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JDB3939 said:
If his hands ever catch up to his feet. Wow. If they don't, he'll be a good third liner.

Agreed. I have no doubt he's the fastest player in the league, bar none, and one of the hardest workers to boot but his hands just can't match his feet or head, yet.

His defense is pretty good though so even if his hands don't catch up he'll be a pretty damn good third liner. Upside of a second liner.
 

craig1

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jmelm said:
That last comment is inaccurate. Koltsov has never exhibited ANY signs of poor decision-making or poor hockey sense, and I have seen every televised Pens game he has played in, along with some international action. He makes quick and smart plays in all 3 zones and on the PK as well.
This is very true. The only facet of his game that is questionable is his goal scoring ability. The only reason that is the way it is, is due to his hands being a step behind his feet.

He is solid defensively, smart with the puck, a great forechecker and backchecker....already one of the Pens best PK'ers.


Worst case scenario at this point is an incredible 3rd line player/PK'er.
 

Russian_fanatic

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IMO Koltsov is VERY fast, but can someone tell me if he's faster than Jason Chimera, or Maxime Afinogenov?

Didn't Chimera set the record for the fastest time around the rink?
 

stardog

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jmelm said:
That last comment is inaccurate. Koltsov has never exhibited ANY signs of poor decision-making or poor hockey sense, and I have seen every televised Pens game he has played in, along with some international action. He makes quick and smart plays in all 3 zones and on the PK as well.

In addition, Koltsov actually has an EXCELLENT wrist/snap shot. His other hockey skills are at least above average (puckhandling, passing, deking, etc.)

What is lacking in Koltsov's game right now is the creativity and unpredictability that many of the game's elite offensive players have. For example, he does not hold on to the puck for that extra second, go east to west, waiting for the play to develop, fake any moves, freeze the goalie with fakes, etc. He plays more of an up and down power game. It is the question of whether this part of his game improves that will answer what kind of offensive numbers he will put up and if he'll ever develop into an elite offensive player.

At the very worst, Koltsov will be one of THE best role players/3rd liners in the NHL. With his work ethic and skills, he could really surprise to the upside.

I personally believe that at worst, Koltsov will be as good a player as Marco Sturm is, and will be that good within 2 years or less if he gets 3rd line or better ice time on a very deep Pens forward corps. And of course if that happens, he should just continue to get better and better over time.
While I think his hockey sense was right along the lines of where most NHL rookies are, I think you're giving him WAY to much credit for his shot. His game is speed and everything else will be secondary. He has a HARD wrister/snap shot, but it is largely ineffective. Lets be realistic here and realize that if his shot was "excellent" then he would have a helluva lot more goals thus far in his career. With all the chances his speed has helped create, his production hasn't been anywhere near the point of someone who has even a marginally above average shot, of which he doesn't.
Also, to say he has never shown ANY signs of poor decision making or lack of hockey sense is VERY hard to swallow as every player is guilty of these infractions. While I dont think he's any more suspect in this area than your average rookie, I have seen him make a few glaring errors which simply displayed a lack of focus.
I love the kid and want him on the Pens for the long haul, but I know his role will be one of energy, checking, creating room for his teamates and speed and NOT one of scoring any more than probably 10-15 goals on average per season.
I believe that to be a realistic and unbiased assessment of where he should fit in. A definite keeper.
 

#66

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stardog said:
While I think his hockey sense was right along the lines of where most NHL rookies are, I think you're giving him WAY to much credit for his shot. His game is speed and everything else will be secondary. He has a HARD wrister/snap shot, but it is largely ineffective. Lets be realistic here and realize that if his shot was "excellent" then he would have a helluva lot more goals thus far in his career. With all the chances his speed has helped create, his production hasn't been anywhere near the point of someone who has even a marginally above average shot, of which he doesn't.
Also, to say he has never shown ANY signs of poor decision making or lack of hockey sense is VERY hard to swallow as every player is guilty of these infractions. While I dont think he's any more suspect in this area than your average rookie, I have seen him make a few glaring errors which simply displayed a lack of focus.
I love the kid and want him on the Pens for the long haul, but I know his role will be one of energy, checking, creating room for his teamates and speed and NOT one of scoring any more than probably 10-15 goals on average per season.
I believe that to be a realistic and unbiased assessment of where he should fit in. A definite keeper.
IMO alot of people either over value him or under value him but stardogs post hits the nail on the head. I think that his future is that of a Jason Blake type. Providing inspiration to his team by playing buzzsaw hockey.
 

Big McLargehuge

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Russian_fanatic said:
IMO Koltsov is VERY fast, but can someone tell me if he's faster than Jason Chimera, or Maxime Afinogenov?

Didn't Chimera set the record for the fastest time around the rink?

Without question he's faster than Afinogenov. Chimera is debatable. Personally I'd give the edge to Koltsov.

Chimera does have the record for fastest time around the rink, but Koltsov has never been timed, so that argument is a moot point.
 

tom_servo

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Hockey Moose said:
What the take on this 24 year old 1st round pick. I've heard the word BUST used & it makes no sence for a guy thats so young & was pretty well liked by most scouts...

Any info & predicitons?

Koltsov is certainly no bust. He'll probably never develop the offensive game that people might've expected from him, but the dude is a fiery competitor, embraces physical play, and, as mentioned, probably the fastest skater in the league.

Koltsov will probably be a guy who tops out at 20 goals. His hands are usually a step behind his feet, but his shot isn't bad. He possesses the qualities of a fantastic 3rd-liner/penalty killer, and just needs continued experience. He's one of my favorite players on the roster.
 

Jag68Sid87

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I think Impaler's comment about "questionable hockey sense" is accurate. Yes he makes smart decisions on the ice, but hockey sense is both an offensive and defensive trait. Koltsov's defensive instincts are there, no doubt, but he does lack hockey sense in the offensive zone. Creativity and unpredictability fall under the hockey sense label in my view.

I think he makes a fine third line player, energy guy and penalty-killer. But on this team, there's no way he sees enough minutes to become a big scorer. Nothing wrong with that, it takes all kinds to create a winning program.
 

JDB3939

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Russian_fanatic said:
IMO Koltsov is VERY fast, but can someone tell me if he's faster than Jason Chimera, or Maxime Afinogenov?

Didn't Chimera set the record for the fastest time around the rink?

Shean Donovan was an extremely fast NHL player. Probably one of the top 10 guys in the league as far as pure speed is considered. In Koltsov's first training camp he annihlated Shean on every sprint drill they did. Koltsov would take 5 strides and coast the rest of the way and no one could catch up to him.

The next year in training camp Koltsov was tossed into the sprint group with Rico Fata. I was really interested in this to see how fast Konstantin was. He destroyed Fata by at least 10 feet in every sprint.

We all know how fast Fata is. I've never seen Chimera skate so I can't really judge. If Koltsov can burn Fata, would he be faster than Chimera?

I know he is faster than Afinogenov though. Just watch the two play.
 

Master Shake*

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Hockey Moose said:
What the take on this 24 year old 1st round pick. I've heard the word BUST used & it makes no sence for a guy thats so young & was pretty well liked by most scouts...

Any info & predicitons?


Fast but hands might keep him stuck on 3rd line.
Hes a true hockey player though.
 

MagnusJondus

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He has scored a bit in international tournaments for Belarus. I remember seeing some of the highlights and some of them were pretty decent plays. didn't display the same skill level in Pittsburgh though. Problem is his hands are very tight and he's not calm or graceful with the puck, but instead almost panicky or jerky. Every once in a while he'll make some awesome pass or great one-on-one move, but they're few and far between.

I don't think you can teach grace or soften a players hands as these are natural traits, but if you could he might be a top-two line player someday.
 

Hunter Gathers

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tom_servo said:
Koltsov is certainly no bust. He'll probably never develop the offensive game that people might've expected from him, but the dude is a fiery competitor, embraces physical play, and, as mentioned, probably the fastest skater in the league.

Koltsov will probably be a guy who tops out at 20 goals. His hands are usually a step behind his feet, but his shot isn't bad. He possesses the qualities of a fantastic 3rd-liner/penalty killer, and just needs continued experience. He's one of my favorite players on the roster.

I agree with everything said in this post.
 

Jag68Sid87

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JDB3939 said:
Shean Donovan was an extremely fast NHL player. Probably one of the top 10 guys in the league as far as pure speed is considered. In Koltsov's first training camp he annihlated Shean on every sprint drill they did. Koltsov would take 5 strides and coast the rest of the way and no one could catch up to him.

The next year in training camp Koltsov was tossed into the sprint group with Rico Fata. I was really interested in this to see how fast Konstantin was. He destroyed Fata by at least 10 feet in every sprint.

We all know how fast Fata is. I've never seen Chimera skate so I can't really judge. If Koltsov can burn Fata, would he be faster than Chimera?

I know he is faster than Afinogenov though. Just watch the two play.

Afinogenov may not be faster without the puck, but he's probably faster than Koltsov with it. And there really are two types of fast in hockey...with and without the puck. That's what made Pavel Bure so incredible: His speed with the puck. That's what makes Ilya Kovalchuk so incredible. That's what will lift Pens fans out of their seats about Sidney Crosby.

I doubt Koltsov could match Sidney's speed if he had to also control a puck.

Again, I'm not knocking Koltsov...but there are different measures of hockey speed in my view.
 
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