We hardly knew ye. (Photo credit: Chris Gordon)

Washington Capitals goaltending prospect Sergey Kostenko has left the organization and will return to Russia to compete for a spot with his home team, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, the team’s head coach Alexander Kitov told Novokuznetsk Sports Portal. Last year, off-season shoulder surgery, several injuries, and an organizational goalie logjam limited Kostenko to just six games with the ECHL’s Reading Royals. Later in the season, Kostenko was loaned to the Ontario Reign where he made three more starts.

Kitov also commented on the future of two other Novokuznetsk-natives: Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov and Winnipeg Jets forward Ivan Telegin.

From Novokuznetsk Sports Portal:

Kostenko returns to Novokuznetsk. He’ll come here tomorrow or day after [Kitov said a few days ago]. As far as I know, he has ended his relationship with his North American partners. If Sergei doesn’t ask for a trade, he’ll attend Metallurg camp. He can prove he can be competitive here. We’re not throwing away players like that especially since we know him well. I think he’s experienced for his level. He’ll get his chance to prove himself.

In regards to Telegin – we had talks with his agent. But Ivan has one more year on his contract with the Jets and he’ll try to crack the NHL roster. Otherwise we’d be pleased to invite him.

Orlov’s situation is a little different. I’d say Dima doesn’t really want [to come back] at this point. But we’re working and we stay in touch with everyone.

The Capitals will still control Kostenko’s rights if he ever chooses to return in the future.

Thanks to Caser for finding the story.

Sergei Kostenko’s mask features a surprising amount of English on it, not all of which makes sense.

Day four of Caps Development Camps got a lot more interesting than the previous day, with a fight, two penalty shots, and nine goals.

Team Red beat Team White in Thursday scrimmage by a final score of 6-3. Team Red’s goals were scored by Matt Bailey, Greg Miller, Cam Wojtala, 2012 first round pick Tom Wilson, and two from David Vallorani.  Team White’s three goals were scored by David Civitarese, Michael Quinn, and Christian Djoos.

Russian draftee Sergei Kostenko played in his first scrimmage after arriving yesterday from Russia and impressed with his performance for Team Red today, stopping tough shots through three periods, including a penalty shot attempt by blue-chip prospect Filip Forsberg.

My photos from today are below.

Photos

Filip Forsberg looking moody before puck drop.

Aussie free agent invitee Nathan Walker reaches for the puck.

Tom Wilson (red) plays defense.

The red team celebrates a goal.

Stan Galiev (red) in a fight for the puck.

Forsberg (white) gets tangled up near the boards.

I think Adam Oates wants to kill me.

Max Iafrate gets stuck on the opposing team’s bench after a check.

Kostenko receives congratulations after the first period.

Galiev races up the ice.

Free agent invitee Greg Miller scores a rather unorthodox goal.

Patrick Wey celebrates another Red goal.

Forsberg sliding butt-first into Sergei Kostenko after getting taken down on a semi-breakaway.

Kostenko makes the save on Forsberg in the ensuing penalty shot.

Another Red goal. Another Patrick Wey celebration.

Wilson scores on yet another penalty shot.

Forsberg reacts to a faceoff.

Red goal. Noticing a trend here?

Wilson (red) battles for the puck.

Wilson takes the puck up the ice.

Oates looks on.

Forsberg watches the action from the bench.

Galiev laughs while taking to reporters.

Oates speaks to the media.

Goalie coach Dave Prior answering questions from the media.

Caps draft pick Thomas DiPauli.(Photo credit: Dave Sanford)

After trading their second round pick and Cody Eakin to the Dallas Stars in exchange for center Mike Riberio, Washington did not move any of their other ten picks in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. In the first round, they acquired talented winger Filip Forsberg and rough-and-tumble power forward Tom Wilson; through the next six rounds, they would go on to acquire four US players, a Canadian player, a Swedish player, and a Russian.

Notably, the Caps selected three players from the U.S. developmental team, and one player recently of the U.S. developmental team. “I asked [the scouts] ‘What are we doing here?” said McPhee about this trend. “Are we drafting the whole team?’”

“We made a lot of picks today,” McPhee said of the second day overall. “I don’t know those kids very well. [...] It’s nice to sort of restock this year, and we’ll see how they are in a couple of years.”

Chandler Stephenson, 3rd Round, 77th Overall

With the 77th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Chandler Stephenson of the Regina Pats. Stephenson is a center/left wing and is known as a creative, skilled forward. In two years with Regina, Stephenson has scored 29 goals and notched 61 points, including a 22-goal performance this year. Stephenson’s stat line is very similar to Cody Eakin’s in his two years in the WHL before the draft, however Stephenson has more than 10 pounds of weight over Eakin already. He is 5’10 and 192 lbs.

Thomas DiPauli, 4th Round, 100th Overall

With the 100th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected center Thomas DiPauli of the US developmental program. In three years with US developmental program, DiPauli has scored 21 goals and had 62 points. He is 5’11 and 188 lbs. “Best moment of my life,” DiPauli said of the draft. “Dream come true. It was incredible.”

Austin Wuthrich, 4th Round, 107th Overall

With the 107th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Austin Wuthrich. Wuthrich is a right wing formerly of the US developmental program, now playing college hockey for Notre Dame. In 36 games with Notre Dame, Wuthrich scored 7 goals and had a total of 17 points. He is 6’1 and 190 lbs.

Connor Carrick, 5th Round, 137th Overall

With the 137th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Connor Carrick of the U.S. developmental program. Carrick is a defenseman who is known for his skating and work ethic. In two years with U.S. developmental program, Carrick scored 8 goals and had 18 points. He is 5’11 and weighs 185 lbs. “Yeah, it’s got to make going to camp and things like that easier, to see familiar faces and such,” Carrick said of having his teammates drafted alongside him. “As far as the future, I hope we can all make the team, that would be great.”

Riley Barber, 6th Round, 167th Overall

Photo credit: Dubuque Fighting Saints’ flickr

With the 167th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Riley Barber of the U.S. developmental program. Barber is a right wing and projects to be a skill player with good size. In two years in the USHL, Barber scored 34 goals and notched 63 points. He is 6’0 and 194 lbs. You can follow Barber on twitter at @rileybarber94.

Christian Djoos, 7th Round, 195th Overall

With the 195th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Christian Djoos of the Swedish under-18 league. Djoos is a defenseman who projects to be a defensively responsible player with some offensive punch. In three years in Swedish junior leagues, Djoos has scored 23 goals and had 99 points overall. He is 5’11 and weighs 158 lbs.

Jaynen Rissling, 7th Round, 197th Overall

Photo credit: Brendan Miller

With the 197th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Jaynen Rissling of the Calgary Hitmen. Rissling had 10 goals, 52 points, and 238 PIM with the Hitmen. His uncle, Gary Rissling, played for the Capitals from 1978-81, before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rissling is 6’4 and 223 lbs.

Sergei Kostenko, 7th Round, 195th Overall

The Capitals picked their only Russian and their only goaltender of the draft with their last pick of the day, selecting Sergei Kostenko at 203rd overall. Kostenko is a goaltender playing for Kuznetskie Medvedi in the Russian junior league, and was the third-string goalie for the World Juniors tournament this year. He is also apparently friends with Dmitry Orlov.

Team Russia shocked the world by coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the gold medal game against Canada to win the IIHF U20 World Junior Championship one year ago. Tremendous coaching, discipline, and a lot of luck made a good team great. Several players also proved that they were the real deal, including Dmitry Orlov (currently playing in Washington), Vladimir Tarasenko (Blues prospect currently ranked fifth in KHL in goals), Maxim Kitsyn (KHL’s Metallurg Novokuznetsk), Artemy Panarin (Vityaz), and — the youngest of the bunch — Evgeny Kuznetsov. Role players from last year’s team, Nikita Dvurechenski (KHL’s Vityaz), Anton Burdasov (third-line center on the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk), and Nikita Pivtsakin (KHL’s Avangard Omsk), have also graduated to become full-time KHL players.

Unfortunately, age eligibility rules have forced a drastic change to Russia, who is looking to repeat as champions for the first time since 2002 and 2003. The only returning player is Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov. Kuzya, the captain wearing #25, is sure to be a major key to success for the Russians. He’s played in the tournament before, scored, and assisted on clutch goals.

Kuznetsov’s been very successful at the professional level this year: he leads the KHL in game-winning goals (5), scored the game-winner in the Karjala Cup, and plays on the first line of the Russian league’s best team, Traktor Chelyabinsk.

How young is Team Russia this year? Consider that only two players on the team have recorded more than ten points in their KHL careers. Kuznetsov is the first, and the other is Zakhar Arzamastsev (Metallurg Novokuznetsk) who has tallied 11. Kuzya’s 65 career KHL points and five points with the Russian National Team make him the team’s go-to offensive player at even strength and on the power play. How will Kuznetsov — who is set to play center instead of his customary right wing — handle the pressure of being captain and being heavily scouted? We will see.

Is potential 2012 first overall selection Nail Yakupov ready for the bright lights in Calgary? (Photo credit: Alyonka Larionov)

To replace other leaders on last year’s team, Head Coach Valery Bragin chose players who represented Russia at the U18 level last year and won the bronze medal. The new core is Nikita Kucherov (Central Sports Club of Army – Red Army), Mikhail Grigorenko (QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts), and Nail Yakupov (OHL’s Sarnia Sting) – three points leaders of that tournament, as well as draft-eligible goalie Andrei Vasilevsky (Salavat Yulaev’s MHL affiliate Tolpar Ufa) who topped last year’s U18 WJC in save percentage.

It seems to me that Russia will go with two lines stacked with high-scoring talent and two lines of role players. I predict one of these two lines will be Nikita Gusev (undrafted), Mikhail Grigorenko (2012 Draft eligible), Nikita Kucherov (drafted by the Lightning). They grew up playing together in the same system (CSKA) and show good chemistry. If their line works in Calgary, look for them to be one of the most dangerous trios of the tournament.

Two other players to be locks in the top-6 are, of course, Evgeny Kuznetsov and potential #1 draft pick on 2012 NHL Draft Nail Yakupov (#AvsFailWatch). The only spot left is arguable, though Boston Bruins’ draftee Alexander Khokhlachev has made a strong case to play on the first line.

Team Russia actually had to cut some of their offensive talent on Friday. Anton Zlobin, who is tied for fourth in goals in the QMJHL, and Vladislav Namestnikov, who was the only Russian drafted in the first round last summer (by the Bolts) were let go. Among the complementary players, one name that stands out is Jets’ prospect Ivan Telegin.

The most surprising cut, however, came at the back end. Guelph’s Andrei Pedan (a big, physical defenseman who sticks up for his teammates) was dismissed. Instead, the Russians went with only one player who plays in the Canadian juniors, defenseman Artem Sergeev of Val-d’Or. The team’s defense will also miss Red Wings’ draftee Alexey Marchenko, who is done for the year with a knee injury that required surgery. Zakhar Arzamastsev (KHL’s Metallurg Novokuznetsk), who went undrafted in the 2011 NHL Draft, will be Russia’s most experienced defenseman with 97 KHL games under his belt.

The Russians should be solid in goal with Vasilevsky, the Saskatoon Blades’ Andrei Makarov and Sergei Kostenko from Metallurg Novokuznetsk’s MHL affiliate, the Bears. The team will play their first game tonight at 10pm against Switzerland.

Team Canada

Will Mark Visentin lead Canada to gold? (Photo credit: Nathan Denette)

Just like every other year, Team Canada has the most talented roster of the tournament. The roster’s almost completely composed of first-round talents with a rack of CHL experience, despite the fact that the Canada’s best young players are in the NHL. Team Canada should be especially hungry this year since they haven’t won since 2009 (where they were champions for five straight years) and were embarrassed by Russia in the final period of last year’s gold medal game. They have lots of talent on the blue line and on offense, but their lack of a solid goaltender (Mark Visentin‘s five-goal meltdown in the third period of last year’s final) could prove to be costly. I expect them to be upset yet again.

Team USA

Emerson Etem: Cowabunga, dude. (Photo credit: Bruce Bennett)

Jack Campbell enters his third WJC in net for Team USA and if he plays like he did in ’10, expect USA to be a frontrunner for the gold, especially with Anaheim Ducks’ prospect Emerson Etem leading the offense for the Americans. They don’t have John Carlson, but he might not be needed this time.

Team Sweden

Jonas Brodin (Photo credit: Bruce Bennett)

Another candidate to upset the Canadians, Sweden is solid on defense featuring first-round picks Jonas Brodin and Oskar Klefbom. Sweden’s next great defenseman Adam Larsson and scoring threat Gabriel Landeskog are already playing in the NHL, so look for Mika Zibanejad to prove himself as a leader for the Swedes.

Team Finland

Mikael Granlund’s lacrosse goal against Team Russia last year netted him a stamp in Finland.

All eyes will be on Mikael Granlund during this tournament. The Wild prospect doesn’t have the supporting cast like Canadian and American leaders have, but Finland is still solid and could prove to be dangerous. Look out for 2013 Draft frontrunner Aleksander Barkov to start making a name for himself on the big stage. There’s a rivalry developing between the Finns and Russians and there’s a chance they’ll meet in the quarterfinals, just like last year. Russia won in a thriller then, and another Kuznetsov/Granlund showcase could be a really intriguing match-up.