Dallas Stars Draft Profile: Dynamo Moscow Forward Klim Kostin

Up until the NHL Draft on June 23rd, the team at Blackout Dallas will be rolling out previews of the potential Dallas Stars selections. Today, we look at Klim Kostin.

Name: Klim Kostin

Position: Winger

Shoots: Left-handed

Hometown: Penza, Russia

Birthdate: May 5th, 1999

Size: 6-foot-3, 190 lbs

Team: Dynamo Moscow (Kontinental Hockey League)

Stats: Zero points in eight games played (not necessarily a fair way to examine the dude)

NHL Ceiling: Top-line offensive winger/power forward

If you’re a long-time follower of the National Hockey League Entry Draft, you are most likely well aware of the impact that the infamous “Russian factor” can have on a team’s plans in the event.

Unfortunately, the acts of Russian players like Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk (leaving the NHL in their primes to pursue a hockey career the Kontinental Hockey League) have made it more challenging for Russian prospects to be given a fair evaluation.

The Dallas Stars have used their first-round Draft selection to grab a Russian-born forward in two out of the last four Entry Drafts (Valeri Nichushkin in 2013, Denis Gurianov in 2015). Nichushkin, also, recently departed for the KHL, and Gurianov just shifted over to North American hockey last season.

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So what’s to make of Russian winger Klim Kostin, who at one point, was a consensus top-three 2017 NHL Draft selection? Well, the “Russian factor” and a lingering shoulder injury have lowered his Draft stock, but if he pans out like he can, he could legitimately become an NHL superstar.

With Kostin, the “Russian factor” is preestablished; the number-one selection in the Canadian Hockey League’s collective Import Draft to the Kootenay Ice (Western Hockey League), Kostin declined coming over to British Columbia to compete with North America’s best Junior players.

On account of this, Kostin’s 2016-17 season was about as disappointing as possible, as the Dynamo Moscow winger laced up in just eight games for his top-tier KHL club prior to being loaned to Dynamo Balashikha of the Supreme League (second-tier). At Balashikha, the results should be different, but no, just one goal, zero assists.

Dallas Stars

This ultimately damaged Kostin’s Draft stock tenfold. It didn’t get better when his shoulder aggravated the 18-year-old enough to require season-ending surgery.

Kostin’s enigmatic nature makes him perhaps the most puzzling Draft prospect in recent memory. The stocky left-handed shooter has garnered comparisons to future Hockey Hall of Famer Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and quite frankly, Kostin emulates essentially the same playing style.

Despite a year to forget, Kostin still finished as the top-ranked European prospect in the NHL’s Central Scouting rankings. The main reason as to why is that Kostin, who previously served as captain of Team Russia in the yearly World Junior Championships, had a borderline monstrous Hlinka Memorial tournament where he tallied four goals and seven assists in just five games.

That brings me to the actual skill examination of this article: Kostin is unbelievably talented at the game of hockey. He is a possessional nightmare for opposing defenses, holding the puck for so long that his play is seemingly away from the dominion of time itself.

His shot is a breath of snowy air on a cold, wintery night; one that intensely chills your entire body, soul, and mind up until there’s nothing left. His physicality effectively nibbles away at all your squad’s defense can muster, hitting teammates’ sticks on cycles and board-plays with effortless strides of pure exertion.

What Kostin will need to improve upon is his backchecking and further defensive responsibilities. Like a young Alexander Ovechkin, Kostin plays every shift with a score or bust mentality, which often times leads to turnovers and subsequent scoring chances for the opposition. The Dallas Stars, especially with Ken Hitchcock at the helm, will need to see an improved defensive stance from Kostin.

His top-end speed and skill show that he’s capable of playing a better three-zone game, but his effort and drive need to be running on all cylinders to find success in the NHL.

If he doesn’t change his demeanor regarding the defensive game the NHL, in a sense, requires, it’ll Kost him…

Next: Underrated Playmaker Nick Suzuki Is An Option

…we shall see where Kostin lands when the Dallas Stars and all 30 other teams make their first-round decisions on June 23rd. Stay posted to Blackout Dallas for more on the NHL Entry Draft.

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