Should you be impressed with Klim Kostin?

The St. Louis Blues have several prospects that are noteworthy. However, Blues left winger Klim Kostin may not be notable.

Kostin currently plays for the Blues as a prospect. He was drafted 31st overall by the Blues in the 2017 NHL Draft. He previously played for the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow and Avangard Omsk in his native Russia.

Kostin scored his first NHL goal for the Blues on November 23, 2019, in a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators. He most recently scored one goal on February 19th when the Blues played the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has nine points (four goals and five assists), a -3 rating, and 31 shots in 40 games thus far this season.

But do the stats matter in this instance? Maybe. Maybe not.

Kostin was reassigned to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds on March 7th. According to CBS Sports, Kostin averaged nine minutes of ice time and generated nine points over 40 games at the time. He looked to build upon his two points over three contests. He has recorded three points (one goal and two assists) in 10 games with Springfield since then.

Kostin hasn’t played an entire NHL season yet. He hasn’t found a secure spot in the Blues’ lineup. I’m not doubting his future in the league. To be honest, I think he can be a power forward, just not with the Blues. But that’s likely not his fault if things don’t work out in St. Louis. The Blues’ coaching staff may be underutilizing him, underestimating his abilities, or both.

Of course, Kostin has plenty of time to develop his offensive game in the United States. But, right now, he’s fairly inconsistent. He has his spurts on offense, but then he has long stretches without points. He doesn’t seem to always be where he wants to be on the ice. Some of the penalties that he takes are bad ones at bad times.

I want to see Kostin do well, but that might be a tall order if he stays with the Blues organization/