Prospect Info: Klim Kostin (31st overall in 2017)

[STL fan in MN]

If it makes you feel any better, I'll never forget that when I first started posting here with IA (which was probably like... 8 years ago?) I thought he lived in Indiana until I realized the correct abbreviation.

I’m getting a kick out of learning all of the confusion and carnage I caused because of my laziness years ago by typing “IA” instead of “Iowa” when trying to think up a good username.

And it’s a pretty damn unoriginal username too! I used to write stage comedy for crying out loud, yet somehow the best I came up with that day was “fan of sports teams from city near where I grew up but I live elsewhere now”?!

 

[David Dennison]

Yes, I’d guess Kostin spends the entire season in the AHL but I also wouldn’t be surprised if he earns an injury call-up later in the season. That stuff is so hard to predict though. Depends on the health and performance of the guys ahead of him and obviously depends on how well Kostin is playing as well.

And lol at the confusion around “Iowa”. But speaking of “AHL Iowa”, I’m glad that the Iowa Wild are now in the same division as the Rampage so I can see these guys in person a few times this season (well, hopefully, with 2 small children and tons of commitments, actually attending the games aren’t the sure thing they once were).

Yeah, he has a lot of people ahead of him: Schenn, Schwartz, Tara, ROR, Steen, Fabbri, Perron, Maroon, Bozak are scoring line locks(9). Jaskin, Thorburn, Sosh, Sundqvist, Nolan are all role players who would probably be a better fit on the 4th line (5). Barbashev, Sanford, Thomas, Kyrou, Blais are all in the mix for scoring lines who would be competing against Kostin for a spot (5).

Good news is that there isnt any rush, let him play a bigger role in San Antonio this season. I really like him, but the odds seem against him getting a chance this year.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Yeah, he has a lot of people ahead of him: Schenn, Schwartz, Tara, ROR, Steen, Fabbri, Perron, Maroon, Bozak are scoring line locks(9). Jaskin, Thorburn, Sosh, Sundqvist, Nolan are all role players who would probably be a better fit on the 4th line (5). Barbashev, Sanford, Thomas, Kyrou, Blais are all in the mix for scoring lines who would be competing against Kostin for a spot (5).

Good news is that there isnt any rush, let him play a bigger role in San Antonio this season. I really like him, but the odds seem against him getting a chance this year.

Agreed.

I just hope folks don’t get impatient with Kostin. Heck, I hope Kostin himself doesn’t get impatient. He’s just now entering his D+2 year. He’s only 19. Same age as Kyrou was a year ago.

Kostin has a lot of good tools but also still a good amount to work on. As long as he stays with it and improves his weaknesses and rounds out his game a bit, I could see him being a good NHLer by around age 20-21.

 

[Blueston]

Agreed.

I just hope folks don’t get impatient with Kostin. Heck, I hope Kostin himself doesn’t get impatient. He’s just now entering his D+2 year. He’s only 19. Same age as Kyrou was a year ago.

Kostin has a lot of good tools but also still a good amount to work on. As long as he stays with it and improves his weaknesses and rounds out his game a bit, I could see him being a good NHLer by around age 20-21.

This is my fear with Kostin, that he gets impatient in the AHL and the pace of his progress. If he makes the leap this year that we think he can, might be beneficial to give him a taste of NHL at some point after WJC to whet his appetite.

 

[542365]

This is my fear with Kostin, that he gets impatient in the AHL and the pace of his progress. If he makes the leap this year that we think he can, might be beneficial to give him a taste of NHL at some point after WJC to whet his appetite.

I would like to see this too. He's clearly hungry and determined to play in the NHL as it takes some serious commitment to move across the world to a completely different culture at 18 years old to play in a developmental league. It's not like he's making huge money doing it either. Good salary for an 18 year old, no doubt, but not life-changing type money. He could make more money and be more comfortable playing at home, but he doesn't because he's committed to playing in the NHL. I would love to see him have a strong year down in the AHL and get a few games at the end of the year so he's rewarded for that commitment. Only so many spots to fill though.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I would like to see this too. He's clearly hungry and determined to play in the NHL as it takes some serious commitment to move across the world to a completely different culture at 18 years old to play in a developmental league. It's not like he's making huge money doing it either. Good salary for an 18 year old, no doubt, but not life-changing type money. He could make more money and be more comfortable playing at home, but he doesn't because he's committed to playing in the NHL. I would love to see him have a strong year down in the AHL and get a few games at the end of the year so he's rewarded for that commitment. Only so many spots to fill though.

Yeah, generally agree but it’s got to be a tough balance for management. I’d think they’d ideally want to get him a few NHL games sometime this season but 1) he has to be playing at a level where he deserves it and 2) there needs to be some sort of injury that opens up a spot for him, and not just any forward injury but one where filling the hole with him would make more sense than filling it with someone else.

So really, he likely only gets called up if what the Blues need is a top-9 winger and Kostin shows himself to be the better callup option over guys like Kyrou, Blais, Foley and Stevens...or have the situation be that some of those guys have already been called up AND THEN Kostin is the next best option. But that’d require quite a few winger injuries.

Who knows how the season unfolds though. Sometimes opportunities open up at the perfect time (say like Dunn last year when Bouw got injured) and other times, no real opportunity presents itself or it presents itself before said prospect is really read to grab it by the reigns.

Beyond that, I guess I just wonder how well Kostin has adapted to American life, living is Texas, etc. and if he had much of a support group there. Also, wasn’t his grasp of English a little iffy? That makes me wonder if there’s any smaller details in practice he’s missing. There aren’t any other Russians projected to be on SA is there? Maybe Sergeev? But he’s shown to be an ECHL caliber guy so far so probably not.

Just thinking out loud there as I’d genuinely be curious how Kostin is liking SA and how things are going for him off the ice. Adjusting to pro hockey would have to be quite the adjustment for all of these guys, but likely quite a bit harder for a guy that’s a bit younger than most and also from Russia.

 

[542365]

Yeah, generally agree but it’s got to be a tough balance for management. I’d think they’d ideally want to get him a few NHL games sometime this season but 1) he has to be playing at a level where he deserves it and 2) there needs to be some sort of injury that opens up a spot for him, and not just any forward injury but one where filling the hole with him would make more sense than filling it with someone else.

So really, he likely only gets called up if what the Blues need is a top-9 winger and Kostin shows himself to be the better callup option over guys like Kyrou, Blais, Foley and Stevens...or have the situation be that some of those guys have already been called up AND THEN Kostin is the next best option. But that’d require quite a few winger injuries.

Who knows how the season unfolds though. Sometimes opportunities open up at the perfect time (say like Dunn last year when Bouw got injured) and other times, no real opportunity presents itself or it presents itself before said prospect is really read to grab it by the reigns.

Beyond that, I guess I just wonder how well Kostin has adapted to American life, living is Texas, etc. and if he had much of a support group there. Also, wasn’t his grasp of English a little iffy? That makes me wonder if there’s any smaller details in practice he’s missing. There aren’t any other Russians projected to be on SA is there? Maybe Sergeev? But he’s shown to be an ECHL caliber guy so far so probably not.

Just thinking out loud there as I’d genuinely be curious how Kostin is liking SA and how things are going for him off the ice. Adjusting to pro hockey would have to be quite the adjustment for all of these guys, but likely quite a bit harder for a guy that’s a bit younger than most and also from Russia.

I think Kostin's father is living in SA with him if I'm not mistaken. I think I read that either here somewhere or in a piece by JR. If that's true, it would certainly help the transition process and make general life easier. Definitely could still be some issues with communication at practices though.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I think Kostin's father is living in SA with him if I'm not mistaken. I think I read that either here somewhere or in a piece by JR. If that's true, it would certainly help the transition process and make general life easier. Definitely could still be some issues with communication at practices though.

That’d be good if his dad was with him to help provide some stability.

Still, crazy logistics when you think about it. That situation happens somewhat often where a parent comes over with a Euro teenager, but just think about the likely insane sacrifices that likely have to be made by these parents to help their children try to achieve the NHL dream. Likely giving up jobs/careers in their home country to try to find some sort of situation in USA/Canada that works economically for their family. Kostin’s AHL salary is $70k and he got his $92.5k signing bonus back on 7/1 so that’s $162.5k he’ll make this season, more if he gets any NHL games so maybe that’s enough for dad to be able to come over and (I’m assuming) give up his Russian income? I have no idea on the details of each player, it’s just something I think about sometimes - the sometimes insane commitments and sacrifices some hockey parents make to help their children make it. Sometimes the investment pays off into a multi-million dollar career and I’m sure a good chunk of the time, it becomes a huge financial and stressful burden and doesn’t pan out.

 

[BlueDream]

That’d be good if his dad was with him to help provide some stability.

Still, crazy logistics when you think about it. That situation happens somewhat often where a parent comes over with a Euro teenager, but just think about the likely insane sacrifices that likely have to be made by these parents to help their children try to achieve the NHL dream. Likely giving up jobs/careers in their home country to try to find some sort of situation in USA/Canada that works economically for their family. Kostin’s AHL salary is $70k and he got his $92.5k signing bonus back on 7/1 so that’s $162.5k he’ll make this season, more if he gets any NHL games so maybe that’s enough for dad to be able to come over and (I’m assuming) give up his Russian income? I have no idea on the details of each player, it’s just something I think about sometimes - the sometimes insane commitments and sacrifices some hockey parents make to help their children make it. Sometimes the investment pays off into a multi-million dollar career and I’m sure a good chunk of the time, it becomes a huge financial and stressful burden and doesn’t pan out.

Yeah, agreed. For now I'd say it's a pretty smart risk by his father though. At this point it'd be very disappointing if Kostin didn't have an NHL career.

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

Agreed.

I just hope folks don’t get impatient with Kostin. Heck, I hope Kostin himself doesn’t get impatient. He’s just now entering his D+2 year. He’s only 19. Same age as Kyrou was a year ago.

Kostin has a lot of good tools but also still a good amount to work on. As long as he stays with it and improves his weaknesses and rounds out his game a bit, I could see him being a good NHLer by around age 20-21.

This is my biggest fear about him, period.

 

[Mike Liut]

He’s going to be so good in SA by mid season, there will be no way to keep him down there.

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

I’d love for him to have a great camp and find a spot on this team, whether it’s out of camp or the first injury. I think with us most likely rolling 4 lines, it doesn’t really matter where we put Kostin.

He also showed some good chemistry with Barbie in camp last year, and I wouldn’t mind seeing a Barbashev-Thomas-Kostin line in camp this year.

 

[EXTRAS]

Other than not scoring how has he looked in the ahl?

 

[PiggySmalls]

Other than not scoring how has he looked in the ahl?

Pretty Meh in the games I watched him. I just see too many shifts where he just doesn't look engaged. Leaves you wanting alot more.

 

[Blues0307]

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

I really believe this year is his AHL coming out party, and he earns at least a call up for the first time.

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

skate boy skate

 

[simon IC]

Give him another year in SA. No need to make any decisions about him yet.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Yeah, I hope he takes that next step in SA this season too.

My main concern with Kostin in the limited times I’ve seen him in the AHL though is his hockey sense. He’s got the tools but can he think the game well enough and fast enough to fully utilize those tools? IDK yet. It could be, at least partially, him still just learning the NA game (and his youth), but I do question his decision making a bit so that’s the area of the game where I’ll be looking/hoping to see improvements.

 

[Mike Liut]

If Pat Maroon can succeed in the NHL, im sure Kostin can too. And this isnt a knock on Maroon at all. But if you compare size, skill, skating, it seems Kostin would easily win.

 

[Coach Nate]

If Pat Maroon can succeed in the NHL, im sure Kostin can too. And this isnt a knock on Maroon at all. But if you compare size, skill, skating, it seems Kostin would easily win.

His skill isnt in question. His hockey sense, or lack thereof, is the problem.

There are guys that never sniffed the NHL, yet possessed NHL skills, all the time.

I'm just hoping KK can develop that sense.

 

[execwrite1]

For all you Kostin doubters - great article by Lou Korac

"He's taking steps. He's almost at the highest part of the mountain. He's getting there. He's getting closer. When he comes up, he's going to be a Blue for a long time." - Tim Taylor

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

FWIW, that Korac interview resolves a bit of my anxiety about Kostin.

• His attitude seems positive, he doesn’t sound frustrated at all, and instead comes off as eager to learn
• He didn’t leave the Blues as a Black Ace during the playoffs out of some sort of beef or wanting to sign in Russia instead.
• He’s going to be given a bigger/better opportunity next year with the Rampage
• Taylor talked about him still being very young, and that meaning that he’s still learning how to play the team game, and still “trying” things on his own that don’t and won’t work. The org is aware, and working with him to improve this
• He and Toropchenko seem like quick friends, it will be good for him to have a confidant on the team. If they can build their games together, that’s amazing.
• The org is willing to be patient with him and give him the resources he needs. Bringing him back to prospect camp to be with kids his own age for a week and build his confidence was a good move in that regard.
• Tarasenko and Barbashev have reached out and offered support
• Kostin gave an interview

Color me cautiously optimistic again.

 

[Renard]

I just read Tom Timmermann's piece in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about Kostin.

Kostin apparently came to North American with no English language skills. Or should I say inability to speak and understand spoken English. That means he couldn't understand the coaching staff or his teammates. I guess the coaches had to show him things in pantomime.

Add to that, he came to a team when he was 18 years old, living in an unfamiliar culture. His teammates were years older than him, some married and with kids.

Kostin must have been the loneliest guy in town. Good for him to stick it out the past two years and remain positive.

 

[Ranksu]

So he isn't bust anymore?