Getting to Know Kristian Kostadinski

With the 220th and their final pick at the 2023 National Hockey League Entry Draft, the Boston Bruins select from Frolunda Jr of the J20 Nationell (Sweden), defenceman Kristian Kostadinski.

Some of the public rankings:

NHLCSFC HOCKEYMCKEEN’SRED LINEEPUPSIDE SCOUTING
62 Europe188NR145NR

Dom – Hockey Ratings (Scale 3 – 9):

SKATINGPHYSICALITYSKILLSIQSHOOTING
5.57.06.06.06.0

Statistics:

SEASONTEAMLEAGUEGPGAPTSPIM+/-
2021-22Frolunda HCJ18 Nationell40515206430
2022-23Frolunda HCJ20 Nationell4328106913

If you’re looking for a defenceman who can put up points then this isn’t the place to look, although he did produce at the J18 level. But if you’re looking for a shut down defenceman that is physical and gives you less than a second in front of his net before he removes you, then Kostadinski is your man.

He’s a throwback defenceman who looks like he gets pleasure playing the physical game. He’s a big body at 6’5” and at 213-pounds is almost filled out. Skating is an issue; however, he maintains tight gaps in order to use his long reach or take someone out along the boards defensively.

His skating also causes him issues in puck retrieval but if he gets to it, he can make a good first pass, but skating it out is not an option. I will give him time with his skating though. He hasn’t had professional coaches working with him on it. But I think fine tuning his technique so he better uses the power in his legs could prove to be beneficial here.

The Bruins will hold onto his rights for four years and it’s something I’ve talked about them doing leading up to the draft. Size is the other thing they’ve stuck too and to me it was obvious they were going to make size a priority.

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Published by Dominic Tiano

Following the Ontario Hockey League players eligible for the NHL Draft. I provide season-long stats, updates and player profiles as well as draft rankings.

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