St. Louis Blues rumors: Klim Kostin could come to North America quickly

One of the Blues’ first-rounders could begin his North American pro career much sooner than expected.

While Kostin is currently under contract with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL, thus eliminating his ability to simply jump ship and come to North America (see: Sobotka, Vladimir), a report has come out that will be extremely encouraging for Blues fans and deeply discouraging to fans of Dynamo Moscow.

As KHL insider Aivis Kalninš of hockeybuzz.com reports, there’s a good chance that Dynamo Moscow will lose all of its players on the same day that the NHL free agency period begins:

It’s debatable how ready the 18-year-old Kostin is for the North American professional game at this stage, as he’ll have to learn to play on a smaller ice surface while also building up his endurance to play a much more brutal schedule.

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With the Blues only being able to sign him to a three-year entry-level contract, signing him immediately could cause them to have to pay him a hefty sum following his age-20 season if he’s as good as he’s been hyped up to be.

With that said, Kostin is an extremely highly-regarded prospect and seems to have enough raw talent to hold his own in the AHL this season. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound winger is physically mature and has a special ability to put the puck in the net. Thus, if the Blues can eliminate the stress of dealing with KHL contract issues and lock up Kostin right now, they definitely should. If they feel that he’s ready and can guarantee him playing time at the AHL level–which is far from a certainty, since they don’t actually have an AHL affiliate this season–then they should let him start his professional career in North America this season.

Next: Blues to try Robby Fabbri at center in training camp

If not, it might make sense to sign him to an entry-level contract and then steer him toward signing with a CHL club. That way, the Blues can keep a close eye on him and bring him to training camp without wasting valuable years of contractual control as he’s developing in the minor leagues, as entry-level contract years roll over until a player begins his pro career.