Former NHL flop Stephane Da Costa was negotiating a return to the league this summer. Unfortunately an NHL return will have to wait. French newspaper L’Equipe reports that Da Costa suffered an injury and will be unable to play for several months.
Da Costa previously played for the Ottawa Senators in the NHL before without much luck, and then moved on to find a more fruitful venture in the KHL with CSKA Moscow. It was thought that with his KHL success, as well as strong play with France at the World Championships, that he would get another opportunity in the NHL. However, the paper reports that an issue came up in August. This is likely the reason he did not get an invite to an NHL camp.
Da Costa’s latest setback, an apparent injury during summer training, puts that up in the air. Once he is healthy, it is unclear if Da Costa will try to sign on with an NHL team, or return to Europe for the rest of the season.
Stephane Da Costa NHL Return Put on Hold by Injury
Da Costa, 27, last played in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators back in the 2013-14 season. His stay in North American professional hockey was not the best period of hockey for Da Costa, having never played more than 22 games in a single NHL season.
Da Costa spent much of his time as part of the Sens with their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators. He had a very successful stint with Binghamton, having a total of 96 points in his 159 games. His best season was his final season in 2013-14, scoring 18 goals and adding 40 assists to his total.
After calling it quits on North American hockey Da Costa went to the KHL, plying his trade with CSKA in the KHL. He has found acclimating to the KHL a much easier process than his futile attempts with the Sens organization.
In his first season with CSKA he had 30 goals and 32 assists in 46 games. Da Costa followed that up with seven goals and seven assists in 24 games the following season and nine goals and 11 assists in another 24 games this season. 46 goals and 50 assists in 94 games is massively impressive in a league with the quality of the KHL.
Along with proving his quality in Russia, Da Costa was very good at the IIHF World Championship this year for France. Da Costa finished tied for 10th in total points at the tournament, scoring six goals and having four assists. It was because of this that a traditionally non-hockey market like France was able to have a very respectable tournament.
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