Klim Kostin Trade Working Well for the Edmonton Oilers

Oilers fans were whelmed. Kostin had 11 points in 46 games over three seasons with the Blues and he had never really found a consistent spot in the lineup. There was a lot to be hopeful for, as the 6’3" winger is not afraid to throw his weight around, averaging about 2.3 hits per game with the Blues. The Oilers desperately needed a forward like this in their bottom six after trading Zack Kassian away the prior offseason.

As expected, Kostin started the season in the AHL as there was not really a spot for him after the team signed Mattias Janmark and Dylan Holloway had an outstanding preseason.

But when Evander Kane went down with a gruesome injury early in November, a spot was open for the taking. Kostin was one of the potential options to take that spot opened up due to injury. His physical play would help replace a bit of what was lost due to injury.

Kostin has taken this opportunity and ran with it. So far, he has nine points in 22 games. His 33-point pace is decent for a bottom-six forward. He is also averaging just shy of three hits per game and with that, doing exactly what is needed in the Oilers’ lineup.

With this play, he has begun endearing himself to the Oilers fanbase for a variety of reasons.

The Real Klim Shady

Yes, that is an official nickname for Kostin, popularized by the fans and used by the team. He has quickly become a fan favourite for his energy, style of play, effort level, and personality that comes across in interviews.

Kostin is a breath of fresh air in the Oilers" bottom six after a rotating cast of invisible, unnoticeable players cycle through the game in and game out. He makes an impact, is noticeable on the ice, and brings exactly what the team needs from his spot in the lineup to the ice each and every game.

Oilers fans always have always had a soft spot for players like this. Clear commitment and dedication on the ice, wears their heart on their sleeve and plays with a physical edge. Ryan Smyth is the epitome of this type of player, and they are hard to come by. Only a few others have fit the bill since.

Have the Oilers won the Klim Kostin Trade?

Early indications are that they absolutely have. For the simple fact that Kostin has spent time in the NHL whereas Samorukov has spent all season in the AHL. But it is still early and the Oilers only recalled their piece of the trade due to injury.

Looking at offensive production, which is hard as Samorukov is a defender, Kostin technically wins there too. He had four points in nine games for the Oilers AHL affiliate and now has nine points in 22 games in the NHL whereas the Blues’ defender has seven points in 32 games in the AHL thus far.

But the long-term outlook on the Klim Kostin trade will be sustainability. He has never had this level of production at the NHL level before. Even this season, he currently has 2.1 goals above expected (which is a lot considering he has five goals total) and is playing with a 104.3% PDO and shooting at 18.5%. Those numbers are high and would indicate he is either overperforming or getting lucky and will regress a bit moving forward.

In the short term, the Oilers have won the trade. But Kostin performing above what is expected of him could make the answer more unclear in the longer term, even by the end of this season.

Will Klim Kostin Stay in the Oilers’ Lineup?

When Kane comes back and the roster is healthy, will Kostin remain a regular in the Oilers’ lineup? If he is still producing, absolutely. He is currently sixth amongst Oilers forwards in points per game, even though he is only averaging 10 minutes of ice time per game.

Even if the offense slows down a bit, he should still have secured a spot over some others due to the physical play that he provides being quite a welcome asset in the bottom six.

His underlying numbers indicate he may not be the greatest defensively, so if he stops producing he may become someone who is in and out of the lineup depending on the day. But the entire team also has trouble defending, so Kostin does not stand out a whole lot in that regard.

Have the Oilers won the Klim Kostin trade? Should he stay in the lineup for the rest of the season? Drop a comment down below!

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