Inside the Article:
On Day 2 of the 2023 NHL Draft, it was announced that the Detroit Red Wings had traded the Edmonton Oilers for F Klim Kostin and Kailer Yamamoto. Now, according to the Red Wings, they have signed Kostin to a 2-year, $4 million deal (AAV of $2 million).
Steve Yzerman Raves About Klim Kostin
Following the 2nd Round of the NHL Draft, Yzerman had some pretty nice things to say about Kostin, leading us to believe that it was a matter of time before a multi-year deal was announced.
Kostin is a big winger, plays hard,” Yzerman said Thursday. “We were looking to add some of that. We have to figure out exactly what our plan and where Kailer (fits). I haven’t even had a chance to talk to him or his agent to figure out what our plan there is.”
“We watched him last year,” Yzerman said. “He’s big and he skated well, got more involved. He played on a pretty deep team in Edmonton, so this is an opportunity to take on a bigger role. We felt like he showed he can play in the NHL as a regular, that was our opinion. We’re optimistic he can work his way into a bigger role with us.”
Bottom Line: Opportunity Awaits Klim Kostin
Yzerman and his staff obviously saw something they really liked in Kostin during his time with the Oilers, and they believe he can have an even bigger role with the Red Wings. Some players rise to the occasion when more is put on their plate, while others fade away. Hopefully, Kostin is the former.
