Confirmed with Link: Blues trade Kostin to Edmonton for Samorukov

[Bryanbryoil]

Oh yeah, I do remember that. I remember thinking it was a tough break for the kid to get victimized like that his first game up. Hope he’s gotten better since then.

He got better as this preseason went along. He looks passable as a depth guy. Still doesn't look like an everyday NHLer though.

 

[Blueston]

He got better as this preseason went along. He looks passable as a depth guy. Still doesn't look like an everyday NHLer though.

Will be interesting to see if either organization can get more out of these guys. I’m skeptical, but we could use another depth D with our injuries, even if he only slots in at about 10th among our healthy guys. I know blues were super frustrated with Kostin. Berube comments on him were pretty clear sign that he was done with him.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Will be interesting to see if either organization can get more out of these guys. I’m skeptical, but we could use another depth D with our injuries, even if he only slots in at about 10th among our healthy guys. I know blues were super frustrated with Kostin. Berube comments on him were pretty clear sign that he was done with him.

Interesting, what did he say?

 

[Blueston]

Interesting, what did he say?

“Klim Kostin is back, and he’s a big guy that’s been around. He needs to take another step here. He has the ability to do the things that are needed, but again, you’ve got to go and do it.”

And Berube almost never rips a player, so this is about as nasty as he gets.

 

[Cloned]

My take on Samo as a Oilers fan:

Had a beastly last year of junior, then development stalled through injuries. Had a really good year in the KHL too.

Issues are footspeed, agility and positioning. Guy takes forever to pivot and combined with shaky positioning means he gets walked wide a lot. I think he’s ok defending zone possessions, but defending the rush he’s poor and looks really shaky at times.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

He’s a beauty of a person. Hopefully he hits his stride with the blues.

 

[Daley Tarasenkshow]

Had the Blues been in a different position heading into this season, I think Kostin would’ve gotten a look at least for 10 games or so. It’s crazy in my mind that after what seems like years in the Blues system he played less than 50 total nhl games. Meanwhile Jaskin played over 250 games before finally being traded. I honestly forgot Jaskin played that many games.

I actually think it’s a positive to be able to move on from high-ish picks at the right time. And something that the Blues (and Army) have done a solid job of doing. Rundblad, Bokk, Letunov, and Walman are a few that come to mind that helped the team acquire NHL players. Maybe Kostin can be added to that list if Samorukov can contribute.

 

[Broberg Speed]

His 1 NHL game was against the Blues and I remember Kyrou walked him twice in the 1st period with both leading to goals before they stapled him to the bench for the rest of the game.

Extreme outlier for a nervous young player.

Samorukov can be a good defenceman with a little more experience and development. If he can stick and be your 7th d-man this year he could be a regular next season. He just needs some NHL games to get his feet wet.

I'm a little surprised he passed through waivers and if Kovacevic didn't get placed on waivers shortly after it was announced Samorukov was on waivers, I think the Canadiens might have been interested.

I'm hoping this was a good depth for good depth trade but any time you can get a defenceman for a forward with a similar timeline in development... you only have 7 defencemen and they take longer to develop.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

A trade that was, effectively, a waiver swap.

There may have been a deal in place, in the event both cleared. Just a guess.

 

[execwrite1]

Sorry to see Kostin go - the talent is there, just never developed with the Blues.

Chief has earned the right to have a say on which players he wants - and he didn't want Kostin.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

May he flourish in Edmonton.

 

[Mike Liut]

I remember being mad the Blues passed over Kostin to pick Thomas. Damn, I’m stupid.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Had the Blues been in a different position heading into this season, I think Kostin would’ve gotten a look at least for 10 games or so. It’s crazy in my mind that after what seems like years in the Blues system he played less than 50 total nhl games. Meanwhile Jaskin played over 250 games before finally being traded. I honestly forgot Jaskin played that many games.

I actually think it’s a positive to be able to move on from high-ish picks at the right time. And something that the Blues (and Army) have done a solid job of doing. Rundblad, Bokk, Letunov, and Walman are a few that come to mind that helped the team acquire NHL players. Maybe Kostin can be added to that list if Samorukov can contribute.

Yeah but Jaskin, for all his faults was able to at least be a useful fourth line player. His biggest problem was his skating ability rather than a lack of hockey sense.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Yeah but Jaskin, for all his faults was able to at least be a useful fourth line player. His biggest problem was his skating ability rather than a lack of hockey sense.

Jaskin got Hitchcock’d. But, he was one of the most effective defensive forwards in the league for a few seasons with us, kind of the original Nichushkin. And then he went to Russia and was a massively productive guy for a top team. I’m convinced if he had come back with any team other than the Coyotes, he would have at least gotten to be a middle-6 player in the NHL.

Kostin’s bona fides don’t even come close to Jaskin

 

[rumrokh]

Jaskin got Hitchcock’d. But, he was one of the most effective defensive forwards in the league for a few seasons with us, kind of the original Nichushkin. And then he went to Russia and was a massively productive guy for a top team. I’m convinced if he had come back with any team other than the Coyotes, he would have at least gotten to be a middle-6 player in the NHL.

Kostin’s bona fides don’t even come close to Jaskin

Except his skating massively holds him back in the NHL in a way it does not on another continent. It wasn't just that he wasn't performing for the Coyotes, he was underperforming the other bad players on the Coyotes.

Dude was a fine checking line player, but there's a reason he signed with the Coyotes and a reason he couldn't hack it with them. If he had a legit chance to be a middle-six forward with another team, I think he would have taken it, because it would have meant a significant payday and getting to play high stakes hockey.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Kostin has decent tools, no toolbox. Just doesn’t know where to go or able to read his teammates out there. A poor-man’s Yakupov.


Lol, yep! That’s him.


4 shifts total, got walked twice, stapled to the bench the rest of the game.

That’s the entirely of his NHL experience so far.

So he can only go up from here!

NGL I immediately remembered him as soon as I saw the trade and laughed because how terrible a first impression that had to have been.

 

[Renard]

ork im back in the NHL in a way it does not on another continent. It wasn't just that he wasn't performing for the Coyotes, he was underperforming the other bad players on the Coyotes.

Dude was a fine checking line player, but there's a reason he signed with the Coyotes and a reason he couldn't hack it with them. If he had a legit chance to be a middle-six forward with another team, I think he would have taken it, because it would have meant a significant payday and getting to play high stakes hockey.

Jaskin didn't skate well enough for the NHL. That was evident early on. Did he work on his staking in the offseasons? Or is it too late of to get better by your early 20s?

 

[Xerloris]

Jaskin didn't skate well enough for the NHL. That was evident early on. Did he work on his staking in the offseasons? Or is it too late of to get better by your early 20s?

Backes was a terrible skater but dedicated himself to getting better. Every summer he took skating lessons and he become much better.

 

[GoldenSeal]

if he plays with mcdavid he will blossom. dont forget, mcdavid made maroon look like a 30 goal scorer

And Maroon has all the Cups lol

Kostin needed a fresh start. He has squandered multiple opportunities to claim a 4th line spot on this roster. Last season the door was wide open with injuries, and he got passed up.

He has good enough physical tools for the NHL. But he is a one-man show and doesn't seem to know how to use his linemates to develop a play. I think the desire and effort are there, but the hockey sense just is not.

He got some very nice comments from coaches in the KHL and appeared to be a contributing member of the Gagarin Cup winners a couple years ago, but we never saw that mean anything in North America.

I suspect neither guy in this trade will amount to anything at the NHL level, but they're both at the stage of their careers where developmental potential is getting pretty thin. A fresh chance in a new organization is the last hurrah. Good luck to Klim!

This.

 

[Celtic Note]

Backes was a terrible skater but dedicated himself to getting better. Every summer he took skating lessons and he become much better.

Not everyone can make the leaps that Backes did. Technique was one of his early deficiencies, similar to Pronger. There are significant improvements that can be made if your technique is poor or not tailored to your physique. You can also build strength if you are deficient in some areas. But, to a certain degree, things like quickness are genetically hardwired. I have heard multiple skating instructors say this including the one Pronger worked with.

I am not sure where Jaskin falls. His explosiveness was certainly lacking.

 

[Thallis]

Had the Blues been in a different position heading into this season, I think Kostin would’ve gotten a look at least for 10 games or so. It’s crazy in my mind that after what seems like years in the Blues system he played less than 50 total nhl games. Meanwhile Jaskin played over 250 games before finally being traded. I honestly forgot Jaskin played that many games.

I actually think it’s a positive to be able to move on from high-ish picks at the right time. And something that the Blues (and Army) have done a solid job of doing. Rundblad, Bokk, Letunov, and Walman are a few that come to mind that helped the team acquire NHL players. Maybe Kostin can be added to that list if Samorukov can contribute.

Kostin was the negaJaskin in that he always brought it to training camp and preseason, but as soon as he started playing against consistent NHL talent he was too slow. Kostin hasn't been able to figure it out in preseason either.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Not everyone can make the leaps that Backes did. Technique was one of his early deficiencies, similar to Pronger. There are significant improvements that can be made if your technique is poor or not tailored to your physique. You can also build strength if you are deficient in some areas. But, to a certain degree, things like quickness are genetically hardwired. I have heard multiple skating instructors say this including the one Pronger worked with.

I am not sure where Jaskin falls. His explosiveness was certainly lacking.

Yeah, even with elite athletes, sometimes they are just born to always be slow relative to their peers. You can't just train hard to become fast or even above average.

 

[DatDude44]

Had the Blues been in a different position heading into this season, I think Kostin would’ve gotten a look at least for 10 games or so. It’s crazy in my mind that after what seems like years in the Blues system he played less than 50 total nhl games. Meanwhile Jaskin played over 250 games before finally being traded. I honestly forgot Jaskin played that many games.

I actually think it’s a positive to be able to move on from high-ish picks at the right time. And something that the Blues (and Army) have done a solid job of doing. Rundblad, Bokk, Letunov, and Walman are a few that come to mind that helped the team acquire NHL players. Maybe Kostin can be added to that list if Samorukov can contribute.

Would've really preferred us to not have to move on from those guys by making better picks lmao....especially letunov and kostin..... I was screaming at my TV for us to take Brayden Point when we took Letunov and I was screaming at my TV for us to take Nic Hague when we took Kostin, obviously hindsight being 20/20 Jason Robertson was the clear steal of the draft in that range, but man I'd luv to see how we'd shake out with a 6'5 LEFT HANDED D with hands and poise like Hague could do in our system.

 

[SwedishFire]

Kostin has decent tools, no toolbox. Just doesn’t know where to go or able to read his teammates out there. A poor-man’s Yakupov.


Lol, yep! That’s him.


4 shifts total, got walked twice, stapled to the bench the rest of the game.

That’s the entirely of his NHL experience so far.

A poor mans yakupov is bad, because yakupov himself was a poor mans version of the junior player yakupov.
So that means Kostin is a poor-poor player in the mold of Tanner Glass?

 

[STL fan in MN]

A poor mans yakupov is bad, because yakupov himself was a poor mans version of the junior player yakupov.
So that means Kostin is a poor-poor player in the mold of Tanner Glass?

I don’t recall much about Glass but if Kostin ever becomes an everyday NHL player, even a bad one, I’ll be surprised.