The Dallas Stars have the third overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and it’s one of the most intriguing spots in the draft.
Brandon Wheat Kings center Nolan Patrick and Halifax Moosheads center Nico Hischier are considered the top prospects in this draft class. There is some debate whether Patrick or Hischier will go first overall, but there seems to be a consensus opinion that neither will make it past the second pick.
That means the Stars could go in any direction at No. 3 and it’s not a bad spot. While this draft is considered weaker than past years, Dallas will still get a very good prospect at No. 3 and a player that should make an impact in the NHL.
Since the NHL Draft Lottery I’ve taken time to watch video and spoken with others that have watched these draft prospects closely to create my own scouting reports for 12 players that Dallas could consider at No. 3.
Today we are looking at Klim Kostin. You can follow these links for past scouting reports on Casey Mittelstadt, Gabriel Vilardi, Michael Rasmussen, Cody Glass, Owen Tippett, and Eeli Tolvanen.
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Klim Kostin
6-foot-3, 196 pounds
Dynamo Moskva (KHL)
The Dallas Stars won’t take Klim Kostin with the No. 3 pick, but the Russian forward could be a steal for another team later in the first round.
Kostin was limited to 31 total games across three different levels and international tournaments this season before having season-ending shoulder surgery. If injury issues weren’t enough, Kostin is going to be victim to the “Russian factor” that causes prospects to fall in the draft.
He was the first overall pick in the CHL import draft in 2016, but decided to play back in Russia instead of reporting to the Kootenay Ice.
Despite these red flags, Kostin is still the top-ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting and probably would be a top-five pick if he was healthy and there weren’t concerned about his dedication to playing in North America.
When healthy Kostin is a big, strong winger that can finish around the net and has tremendous skating ability. He’s inconsistent at times, another issue, but he’s also showed flashes of dominance where he simply turns into the best player on the ice — no matter the level of competition.
It’s hard to judge some of the intricacies in Kostin’s game — there simply isn’t enough video from this past season — but someone is going to take a gamble and could win big on the Russian.
Dallas won’t be that team at No. 3. But if the Stars trade back in the draft or if he happens to fall, and the Stars have a second first-round pick, Dallas has a history of taking a chance on Russian forwards.
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