Nikita Korostelev
| Birthday: 1997-02-08 | Position: RW |
| Eligible for draft: 2015 | Shoots: Right |
| Drafted: 2015 | Height: 6-1 |
| Acquired: 7th round (185th overall), 2015 | Weight: 195 lbs. |
Probability of Success
- D
History
2011-12: Nikita Korostelev attended the Hill Academy in Ontario and played for the Vaughan Kings bantam team. He skated for the Kings’ midget minor team in the OHL Cup, scoring 2 goals with 0 assists in five games.
2012-13: Korostelev appeared in two games with the Junior A Toronto Jr. Canadiens and skated for the club’s midget minor team. He had no points nor penalties in a regular season game and scored a goal in one playoff game for the Junior A squad. Korostelev scored 12 goals with 14 assists in 13 regular season games for the Canadiens midget AAA squad. He was selected by Sarnia in the first round (ninth overall) in the 2013 OHL Priority Draft.
2013-14: Korostelev made his OHL debut with the Sarnia Sting as a 16-year-old and was the team’s third-leading scorer. He scored 17 goals with 21 assists and was -35 with 23 penalty minutes in 60 regular season games. The Sting finished last in the West Division and had the league’s worst record, winning 17 games.
2014-15: Korostelev was Sarnia’s leading scorer despite missing 13 games due to injury in his second season with the Sting. He scored 24 goals with 29 assists, both team highs, and was +4 with 18 penalty minutes in 55 games. Sarnia finished second in the West Division and lost to Erie in a first-round playoff series. Korostelev scored 1 goal with 2 assists and was -1 with 6 penalty minutes in five playoff games. He played for Team Orr in the 2015 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and was invited to the NHL Prospect Combine. Korostelev was ranked 50th amongst North American skaters in the Central Scouting final rankings and was selected by Toronto in the seventh round (185th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft.
2015-16: Korostelev attended his first training camp with the Maple Leafs before returning to Sarnia for a third OHL season. He scored 23 goals with 19 assists in 53 games — missing a month after suffering an ankle injury in January — and was +13 with 15 penalty minutes. The Sting finished first in the West Division before falling to Sault Ste. Marie in an opening round playoff series. Korostelev had 5 assists with an even plus/minus and 2 penalty minutes in seven playoff games.
Future
Korostelev had a challenging third season with the OHL's Sarnia Sting in 2015-16, missing a month with a nagging ankle injury. Sarnia finished first in the West Division but failed to reach the second round in the playoffs. Korostelev was skating with the AHL's Toronto Marlies during the post-season but did not play in any games. Yet to sign an entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs, he will likely return to Sarnia for his fourth season with the Sting in 2016-17. He is also a candidate to play for Russia in the 2017 World Juniors. Long-term Korostelev projects as a second or third line winger with some scoring ability.
