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

[67Blues]

It is very rare when a player can come right into the NHL as an 18-20 year old and pick the game up immediately and make an impact. Those players are either on really bad teams or have extreme talent. He'll get there, as long as people temper their expectations. Kyrou was absolutely lost his first 16 games up here.

 

[simon IC]

I wonder how much the language barrier is impacting Kostin's development. Judging by the post game interviews, he is still struggling there. Perhaps his difficulty using his team mates stems from his difficulty communicating with them.

 

[BlueMed]

Kostin does need to improve his IQ and ability to use his linemates -- that play isn't an example of it. However, we don't need him to be an All-Star play driver. What we need is someone that can put the puck in the net. If we can get his linemates to use HIM, then we've got something here. Obviously that makes it more difficult for Kostin to stick somewhere as he needs good linemates to flourish, but I still think he could be useful to us in the here and now. I'd still prefer to send him back down after a bit with the specific instruction to learn how to use his linemates and read the ice better.

 

[BlueDream]

Anddd sent down.

Dammit. I understand this was coming at some point but I just hate the timing. He scores and is all excited and then immediately sent down.

I really wanted to see if he was able to build off that game. And I hope he understands and doesn’t take this to heart too much.

 

[Blueston]

Nice that he got a goal in last game. Goes down with confidence that he can play up here. Just needs to keep working on some things and he will be back. Really impressed with progress he has made this year. I was dubious of his chances after last season but now think he has fairly good shot at developing into middle 6 winger.

 

[67Blues]

I'd rather he be down in SA working on his game with good quality minutes than being centered by DLR where offense goes to die. He'll be up again soon enough.

 

[MissouriMook]

i'm sorry, couldn't hear you over the sound of the Blues goal horn after Kostin deked half the Preds out of their shorts and wristed a rocket to the back of the net.

<crickets>

 

[Mike Liut]

I wonder how much the language barrier is impacting Kostin's development. Judging by the post game interviews, he is still struggling there. Perhaps his difficulty using his team mates stems from his difficulty communicating with them.

Kostin to Mac Mac, “you wanted me to pass on my scoring play?”

Mac Mac, “no, I said there was a nice piece of ass in the front row”.

 

[MissouriMook]

Once Kostin got the callup, heading back to San Antone was not in the cards. He's here to stay.

It has been crazy quiet here the last couple of days. It is almost as if Kostin is a very good young prospect who is being developed like a very good young prospect and not being treated like a Hockey Messiah here to save our season.

He will be back and he will be great, but he still has a lot to work on in the meantime. Even a more talented prospect like Thomas would have benefited from time in the AHL to work on areas of his game, it just wasn’t possible for him until this season.

 

[David Dennison]

It has been crazy quiet here the last couple of days. It is almost as if Kostin is a very good young prospect who is being developed like a very good young prospect and not being treated like a Hockey Messiah here to save our season.

He will be back and he will be great, but he still has a lot to work on in the meantime. Even a more talented prospect like Thomas would have benefited from time in the AHL to work on areas of his game, it just wasn’t possible for him until this season.

I think the difference is Thomas came in with a well refined defensive/two-way game, so he was easier to slot on the 3rd/4th line. This allowed him to develop in the NHL last season without costing the team points in the standings. I don't think the same can be said for Kostin or Kyrou.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I think the difference is Thomas came in with a well refined defensive/two-way game, so he was easier to slot on the 3rd/4th line. This allowed him to develop in the NHL last season without costing the team points in the standings. I don't think the same can be said for Kostin or Kyrou.

The irony here is that Thomas would have been better served with more minutes in the AHL rather than having to come along so slowly in the NHL. How quickly people forget the deluge of complaints about his low minutes. But the AHL was not an option. The only alternative possible was sending him back to juniors.

the reason I say ‘irony’ is that Kostin would have probably been better served by at least a year in juniors rather than the AHL which he insisted on.

But the key principle for these prospects is the same: lots of supervised minutes with the highest level of competition they can succeed against. Right now, for Kostin that’s the AHL.

 

[Stealth JD]

Not even close, much better skillset. Closer to a Jamie Benn.

 

[Dbrownss]

I'm not sure where to go with this? Its just a skillset comparison. Remember though...Jamie Benn wasnt supposed to be Jamie Benn.

 

[Dbrownss]

It has been crazy quiet here the last couple of days. It is almost as if Kostin is a very good young prospect who is being developed like a very good young prospect and not being treated like a Hockey Messiah here to save our season.

He will be back and he will be great, but he still has a lot to work on in the meantime. Even a more talented prospect like Thomas would have benefited from time in the AHL to work on areas of his game, it just wasn’t possible for him until this season.

Might be because there isnt much to talk about outside of what's been talked about. Some are fine with what coaching is doing and some would prefer for Kostin to get more time in the NHL. Just people talking past each other

 

[Stealth JD]

I'm not sure where to go with this? Its just a skillset comparison. Remember though...Jamie Benn wasnt supposed to be Jamie Benn.

Yeah - but i don't think there's any way Kostin tops out at more than 40-45 points/season. You can't be as skilled as a 90-point guy if you don't have the ability to match them point-for-point. I think you're grossly under-valuing the skill Benn has (had). I think we're looking at Berglund-type numbers from Klim, personally.

 

[Dbrownss]

Yeah - but i don't think there's any way Kostin tops out at more than 40-45 points/season. You can't be as skilled as a 90-point guy if you don't have the ability to match them point-for-point. I think you're grossly under-valuing the skill Benn has (had). I think we're looking at Berglund-type numbers from Klim, personally.

That's not how a skills comparison works. I don't think I'd compare him to Berglund....maybe what Berglund was supposed to be. But I see a power forward who plays a hard hitting edgy game that can put up points. There maybe better comparables point wise, but I'm just looking at the skills he possesses. Prior to his injuries, Kostin was viewed as a potential top 10 talent.

 

[Robb_K]

From what I've seen of Kostin, it looks to me like he's a lot more skilled than Berglund. Once his body fills out, and he gets comfortable in The NHL,I see him getting both the banger points from being around the net, AND the creator skill points, made from plays like his one NHL goal. I'll feel disappointed if he doesn't average 55-60 points during his prime, and doesn't have a couple peak years that top 65. I hope for him to be something between Schenn and Tkachuk.

 

[Dbrownss]

From what I've seen of Kostin, it looks to me like he's a lot more skilled than Berglund. Once his body fills, and he gets comfortable in The NHL,I see him getting both the banger points from being around the net, AND the creator skill points, made from plays like his one NHL goal. I'll feel disappointed if he doesn't average 55-60 points during his prime, and doesn't have a couple peak years that top 65. I hope for him to be something between Schenn and Tkachuk.

Schenn is actually a pretty good comparison.

 

[David Dennison]

Schenn is actually a pretty good comparison.

I still think there is a sizable gap between Schenn and Kostins skill level. I don't see Kostin being the playmaker Schenn is. In limited time in the AHL in his D+2 and D+3 years, Schenn had 19 points in 14 games, Kostin has 32 in 80 games. Kostin was good in the WJC, Schenn broke records. Everything Kostin has done up to this point, Schenn had done more. Maybe Kostin's body is better suited for the NHL, but the super athletes don't always develop in hockey. You can improve your strength, improving your vision or hockey sense is not as easy.

I simply don't buy the scoring upside with Kostin until he, you know, starts scoring. I know he has always played in men's leagues and has been pushed down the lineup, etc. That's fine, but scoring doesn't get any easier in the NHL. Until then, I still have him pegged as a 3rd line production/skill kind of guy. His shot might be legit, but a lot of 3rd liners have a good shot and don't do a lot else.

 

[Dbrownss]

I still think there is a sizable gap between Schenn and Kostins skill level. I don't see Kostin being the playmaker Schenn is. In limited time in the AHL in his D+2 and D+3 years, Schenn had 19 points in 14 games, Kostin has 32 in 80 games. Kostin was good in the WJC, Schenn broke records. Everything Kostin has done up to this point, Schenn had done more. Maybe Kostin's body is better suited for the NHL, but the super athletes don't always develop in hockey. You can improve your strength, improving your vision or hockey sense is not as easy.

I simply don't buy the scoring upside with Kostin until he, you know, starts scoring. I know he has always played in men's leagues and has been pushed down the lineup, etc. That's fine, but scoring doesn't get any easier in the NHL. Until then, I still have him pegged as a 3rd line production/skill kind of guy. His shot might be legit, but a lot of 3rd liners have a good shot and don't do a lot else.

I said Schenn because of the skillset and he's in the same mold as Benn but a lower tier. At no point did I say he's going to have a Schenn like career or points total. I've seen a guy that has top 6 upside in terms of production but plays a strong hard hitting power forward style game.

For whatever reasons, Kostin just plays better in higher competition. I find his NHL game to be very promising. He was able to set up plays that his linemates (DLR and Mac) had no idea what to do.

 

[Celtic Note]

I can appreciate trying to find a style comparison but I am not seeing the Schenn, Berglund or Benn comparisons.

He sort of reminds me of Chris Stewart when he first came up. It’s still not a great comparison, but that’s all I can think of at the moment.

 

[TK 421]

I rarely do player comparisons but Kostin has strongly reminded me of Nino Nedereitter for the longest time and still does.

 

[Frenzy31]

I rarely do player comparisons but Kostin has strongly reminded me of Nino Nedereitter for the longest time and still does.

Nino and Coyle are the guys he reminds me of. Physical player who can chip in in the offensive end. Guy who can take the puck to the net. Second liner upside.

I think he needs more stamina and needs to stop thinking so much and just play

 

[Robb_K]

I can appreciate trying to find a style comparison but I am not seeing the Schenn, Berglund or Benn comparisons.

He sort of reminds me of Chris Stewart when he first came up. It’s still not a great comparison, but that’s all I can think of at the moment.

I think Kostin will be much more successful than Chris Stewart in The NHL, and I'm not a betting man (far from it), but I think I'd be willing to bet that Kostin will score more points per game that he plays in The NHL than Berglund (unless he goes back to Russia before playing 2 full seasons in The NHL).

I'll be surprised if he'll end up better than Jamie Benn. But, I think he might approach Schenn's career numbers, if things go right. I doubt if I'd bet big money on that. But, I think he's got a very good chance of scoring more than Berglund (who rarely set up his linemates). I think Kostin has suffered from having to learn The North American game at a very young age, plus bouncing around, not being with the same linemates very much. I think his offensive sense will be proven to be significantly better than Berglunds. I do agree that he'll start on The 3rd Line in The NHL, but thing his topside potential is as an average 2nd Liner. I hope he reaches that with The Blues, within 4 years from now.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

He will be back.