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Klim Kostin

Red Wings Sign Klim Kostin

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A day after non-tendering him, the Red Wings have agreed to terms with winger Klim Kostin, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve signed him to a two-year contract.  The deal will carry an AAV of $2MM.

The 24-year-old was acquired at the draft from Edmonton along with Kailer Yamamoto (who was later bought out) in exchange for future considerations.  The move allowed Detroit to get a head start on contract negotiations and while it might have taken a little longer than they would have liked, they were able to get a deal in place.  By non-tendering Kostin, the Red Wings eliminated the risk of a higher-than-desired salary arbitration award.

Last season was an interesting one for the 24-year-old.  After failing to crack St. Louis’s roster in training camp, Kostin was placed on waivers and went unclaimed, allowing him to be sent to the minors.  That actually upped his trade value and the next day, Edmonton moved blueliner Dmitri Samorukov (who had also just gone unclaimed) to the Blues to pick up Kostin.

It took a month before Kostin got his first NHL opportunity but when he did, he didn’t look back.  He wound up being a capable bottom-six winger for Edmonton, notching 11 goals and 10 assists in 57 games while averaging a little under three hits per game in just over ten minutes a night.  Kostin also was a good contributor in limited playoff playing time, recording five points despite seeing ATOI dip to less than eight minutes per contest.

While Edmonton certainly would have liked to keep Kostin for themselves, the threat of salary arbitration was too much for them to take the chance, resulting in them giving him away to Detroit.  Clearly, with this contract, the Red Wings feel that Kostin will be capable of playing at least a bigger role for them next season and if he has a performance similar to his 2022-23 campaign, they should get at least a decent return on this deal.

Detroit Red Wings Acquire Kailer Yamamoto And Klim Kostin

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The Detroit Red Wings have pillaged two players from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for future considerations: forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Klim Kostin.

The move adds two wingers of varying promise to the Red Wings in exchange for just cap space, as no assets were surrendered by Detroit to complete this trade. The Oilers were likely motivated to move off of Yamamoto’s cap hit as he’s making $3.1MM for the next season. While Yamamoto managed 20 goals and 41 points in 2021-22, the 2017 first-round pick struggled this past year and lost his spot in Edmonton’s long-term plans.

Yamamoto scored just 10 goals and 25 points this season, playing just 58 games. While that 35-point pace isn’t actually a huge decline from the 41 points he scored the year before, his lack of availability combined with his frustrating inconsistency is likely what led Edmonton to deal him in order to create some cap space to bring in new players.

As for Kostin, he was set to hit restricted free agency at the start of the new league year, and it’s likely that Edmonton wasn’t prepared to give him the type of contract he may be hoping to receive. Kostin was acquired by the Oilers in exchange for defenseman Dmitri Samorukov, and the 24-year-old 2017 first-rounder scored 11 goals and 21 points in 55 games in Edmonton, both easily career-highs.

Now, the six-foot-three forward will join the Red Wings, who have added two NHL-ready contributors in this deal. Their forward corps is already well-stocked with NHL talent, but Yamamoto can now compete with Filip Zadina and Jonatan Berggren for a role in coach Derek Lalonde’s top nine, while Kostin is likely to end up on their fourth line. At no asset cost, this is a savvy deal for Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings, especially if Yamamoto can repeat his form from 2021-22.

Latest On Klim Kostin

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The Edmonton Oilers have some interesting moves to make this offseason as they (once again) look to rebuild a roster that wasn’t good enough to get it done in the playoffs. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have shown they can only carry the group so far in the postseason, meaning the rest need to be more competitive.

One bright spot from this season was the emergence of Klim Kostin, a 2017 first-round pick of the St. Louis Blues who had struggled to make an impact at the NHL level. In Edmonton, he scored 11 goals and 21 points in 57 games, while racking up 157 hits and 66 penalty minutes. That kind of well-rounded depth player is valuable for a club like the Oilers, especially given that he is just 24 years old.

Unfortunately for general manager Ken Holland, Kostin is also eligible for arbitration, a process that could result in a much higher contract than the $750K he played under this year. With every dollar meaning so much to Edmonton, getting to a hearing might not be ideal.

Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic suggests that a two-year bridge contract with a cap hit no higher than $1.5MM could be an ideal compromise but also throws some chum in the water for frustrated Oilers fans. The scribe writes there “could be some interest in the 24-year-old winger from KHL teams.”

Given that Holland has already confirmed he will qualify Kostin, the Oilers won’t lose his rights either way. But watching him head to Russia after a breakout season (however limited) would be disappointing. Even if he played ten minutes a night, he made an impact for Edmonton—something not many role players have done over the last few years.

Evander Kane Placed On Long-Term Injured Reserve

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After undergoing an emergency procedure following a scary incident last night, Evander Kane has been placed on long-term injured reserve by the Edmonton Oilers. Kane’s wrist was lacerated by a skate blade, pouring blood onto the ice and requiring immediate medical attention. After being transported to the hospital, the Oilers announced that Kane was in stable condition and would undergo a surgical procedure. He has now been ruled out for the next three to four months, though no other details were revealed.

With the added cap flexibility and an extra roster spot, the team has recalled Mattias Janmark and Klim Kostin from the minor leagues.

In a post earlier today, Kane released a statement thanking the training staff of both the Oilers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, along with the paramedics and doctors that helped to repair the injury. Though there aren’t many details on what exactly was damaged, Kane vowed that he will be back and suggested that it could have been much worse without their immediate help.

The 31-year-old winger wasn’t scoring goals at quite the incredible pace he set after arriving in Edmonton last season but he was still having a great start to the year. With five goals and 13 points in his first 14 games (including the nine shifts he had last night before exiting), he was actually on pace to set a new career high in points. His previous best was 57, set back in 2011-12, thanks to a number of seasons cut short for various reasons. Kane has never played in more than 78 games in a single season and that trend will continue with this months-long absence.

For the Oilers, losing one of your best offensive weapons is never a good situation but they do have some strong depth coming in. Both Kostin and Janmark have NHL experience, especially the latter, who has been a full-time player for the past six years. In 67 games with the Vegas Golden Knights last year, Janmark had nine goals and 25 points. Kostin meanwhile played 40 times for the St. Louis Blues in 2021-22, scoring nine points.

While neither of them can fill the role that Kane had, forward depth hasn’t been the calling card of the Oilers in years past. At least this time they have legitimate options to insert into the lineup, though there will be some shuffling required to figure out the best way forward.

Edmonton Oilers Acquire Klim Kostin

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The Edmonton Oilers have acquired forward Klim Kostin from the St. Louis Blues in a one-for-one swap for defenseman Dmitri Samorukov, according to a team tweet. Both Kostin and Samorukov cleared waivers earlier this week.

Kostin, 23, has played just 46 NHL games since the Blues selected him with the final pick of the first round in 2017. 40 of those 46 games in 2021-22, where Kostin had four goals and five assists for nine points playing on a semi-full-time basis for the first time. Kostin also had just six points in 17 AHL games with the Springfield Thunderbirds last season. He’s never had much sustained offensive success, even in the AHL, and five years after being drafted, an NHL future for Kostin is fading quickly.

It’s the opposite for Samorukov, however, who now may get an NHL opportunity right out of the gate with the Blues. With injuries to Marco Scandella and Scott Perunovich dismantling the team’s left-shot defense depth, Samorukov comes in as a young player who can battle to capture a bottom-pairing role. It was rather surprising when Samorukov cleared waivers yesterday, considering how close he is to being NHL-ready. Selected 84th overall in the same 2017 draft, Samorukov made his NHL debut last season and emerged as a strong top-four defender with AHL Bakersfield.

Samorukov should immediately enter a battle with Niko Mikkola for NHL minutes right out of the gate. Given the team’s thin depth, it seems unlikely they’d opt to send Samorukov to Springfield for added conditioning. Add in the consideration that Samorukov wasn’t able to participate in training camp with the Blues and become adjusted to the team’s staff, and it makes sense that they would keep him around on the NHL roster for the time being.

For Kostin, the AHL does seem like the most likely option given the emergence of Dylan Holloway and Edmonton’s tight salary cap situation.

Waivers: 10/07/22

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It’s an important day for waivers as the regular season approaches, and several potential targets are available. With the preseason wrapping up, teams will try to sneak players through at the last second and keep them in the organization for the time being.

Many of these placements are due to salary cap restrictions or LTIR machinations to give teams maximum flexibility as the season begins. Everyone from yesterday’s list cleared.

Here is today’s group of waiver additions:

Carolina Hurricanes

Jordan Martinook

Dallas Stars

Anton Khudobin

Edmonton Oilers

Mattias Janmark
Dmitri Samorukov

Minnesota Wild

Steven Fogarty

New Jersey Devils

Andreas Johnsson
Brian Pinho

Philadelphia Flyers

Kevin Connauton
Troy Grosenick

St. Louis Blues

Martin Frk
Klim Kostin
Matthew Highmore

Vancouver Canucks

Justin Dowling

Winnipeg Jets

Johnathan Kovacevic

St. Louis Blues Re-Sign Klim Kostin

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The St. Louis Blues have re-signed winger Klim Kostin on a one-year deal worth $750K, per Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland.

Drafted 31st overall in 2017, Kostin hasn’t broken out offensively yet, but he hasn’t exactly been given the chance. In 40 games in 2021-22, Kostin had just four goals and nine points, but he was limited to playing just nine minutes a game. With David Perron departing the organization, though, Kostin has a shot to work his way into a top-nine role and therefore more ice time.

It’s a one-way contract for Kostin, the first of his NHL career. He’ll be a restricted free agent in 2023 once again.

Players like Kostin will be increasingly important for the Blues as extensions continue to get handed out to their young players. While the Blues have given out a lot of questionable cash this offseason, there’s absolutely no risk with this signing, a pleasant change of pace for Blues fans. With a full roster, per CapFriendly, the Blues are less than $1MM under the cap.

Snapshots: Cogliano, Quenneville, Kostin

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Colorado might get a veteran back in the lineup tonight as head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin that winger Andrew Cogliano could be an option to return.  The 35-year-old underwent hand surgery to repair an injury sustained during the Western Conference Final but returned to practice on Friday and participated in the morning skate today.  Cogliano, who leads all Colorado players in terms of the number of playoff games played, has two goals and an assist in 11 games so far this postseason while logging a little more than nine minutes a night of action.  If Cogliano is able to return, Nicolas Aube-Kubel may be the one to cede his spot.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • In an appearance on ESPN’s The Point on Friday (video link), commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged that former Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville has expressed a desire to return to the NHL though not for a specific job opening. At the time of Quenneville’s resignation following the findings of the Kyle Beach investigation being released, Bettman indicated that he would “require a meeting in advance in order to determine the appropriate conditions under which such new employment might take place”.  That meeting probably won’t be coming soon as Bettman added during his appearance that he doesn’t believe that this is the right time to discuss the potential of Quenneville returning to work for a team.
  • In his latest reader chat, Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests that winger Klim Kostin is a likely trade candidate for the Blues this summer. Alexey Toropchenko plays a very similar style as Kostin and is someone that head coach Craig Berube is a fan of, giving Torochenko a leg up for that spot on the lineup.  A 2017 first-round pick, Kostin is waiver-eligible next season but could still carry some value after picking up nine points and 90 hits in 40 games with St. Louis this season while also playing a key role for AHL Springfield as the Thunderbirds get set to start the Calder Cup Finals tomorrow.

Avangard Omsk Wins Gagarin Cup

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The Gagarin Cup has been awarded to Avangard Omsk for the first time in franchise history, defeating CSKA 1-0 in the deciding game six. While the championship obviously doesn’t have a direct impact on the NHL, it signals the end of the KHL season for several interesting prospects that could end up in North America shortly.

Klim Kostin, the 21-year-old St. Louis Blues prospect who just lifted the trophy, is expected to come over and rejoin his NHL team as soon as possible, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Kostin is already under contract with the Blues and was just on loan to the KHL.

Max Shalunov is a different story, as he would need to sign a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Originally drafted way back in 2011, the 28-year-old Shalunov’s draft rights never did expire because he never signed an NHL contract. The KHL and NHL do not have an official transfer agreement, so KHL draft rights are held indefinitely. The veteran winger has been a strong performer for years in Russia and could be a nice addition to the Blackhawks organization if they can get him to finally sign.

Yegor Chinakhov, the youngest of the three most notable players involved in the final, was just selected 21st overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. A decision will now be made by the 20-year-old forward whether to sign his entry-level deal or stay in Russia a while longer.

The win was also an impressive achievement for Bob Hartley, who now has a Gagarin Cup, a Stanley Cup, a Calder Cup, an NLA title, a QMJHL championship, and a CJHL championship as a head coach. Quite the resume for the veteran coach, who was last in the NHL during the 2015-16 season with the Calgary Flames.

Prospect Notes: OHL, U18, Kostin

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The Ontario Hockey League hasn’t played a game in over a year. The junior league is the last member of the CHL still not playing, but there was hope that that could change in the next few weeks and allow young players to get back on the ice. That looks unlikely now, as David Hains of Queen’s Park Briefing reports that due to the changing health situation the OHL season has been “benched until further notice.” Ontario’s Minister of Sport Lisa MacLeod told Hains that it would be “irresponsible” to send the young players back into action right now.

It seemed in March as though things were moving towards a shortened season, with MacLeod even confirming that the OHL and the province had reached an agreement on the return to play that has since been thrown out. Though the door hasn’t been completely closed, it is looking less and less likely that there will be any meaningful OHL season.

  • The 2021 U.S. U18 roster has been announced for the upcoming World Championship, scheduled to take place in Frisco and Plano, Texas starting later this month. The group includes Jack Hughes–no not that Jack Hughes (or even that Jack Hughes)–who is one of the top prospects for the 2022 draft. Hughes, 17, is committed to Northeastern for the 2022-23 season. The rest of the roster includes many other top prospects and should be an impressive group for the upcoming tournament.
  • Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic pointed out on Twitter that Klim Kostin is currently playing game seven in the KHL conference finals, and could be headed to North America should his club fail to advance. The 21-year-old Kostin signed his entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues way back in 2017 but went to the KHL on loan this year when there was still uncertainty surrounding the NHL and AHL seasons. In four games with the Blues last season, he scored a goal and could be an option down the stretch for them once he sorted out visa and quarantine issues. (As of this writing, Kostin’s team is up 2-1 and he has an assist.)

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