The Toronto Maple Leafs have their hands full this season. After the departure of Mitch Marner, GM Brad Treliving has been busy shuffling the roster deck. Matias Maccelli was one name brought in to help soften the blow of trading away Marner.
There’s a chance that Maccelli plays on the top line with Auston Matthews, but that isn’t the only hole they must fill. Ryan Reaves was also traded, with young defender Henry Thrun coming back from the San Jose Sharks. The Maple Leafs can replace what Reaves brought to the team by signing Klim Kostin to a professional tryout agreement.
Maple Leafs Would Add More Bite With Klim Kostin
Kostin has more than enough of an edge to his game to name him as a Reaves replacement.
The 26-year-old winger was drafted by the St. Louis Blues 31st overall in 2017. The 6-foot-4, 232 lb Russian collected 110 hits in 35 games during the 2024-25 season. Kostin averaged 3.14 hits to Reaves’ 2.94 hits.
Kostin is not afraid to throw his fists as much as he throws hits. Over the last three seasons, Kostin has been in nine fights, while Reaves has been in 15 fights. While he might not fight as much as Reaves has recently, fighting is the thermometer to measure Kostin’s engagement.
During the 2022-23 season with the Edmonton Oilers, Kostin fought five times. He played in 57 games, scoring 11 goals, 21 points, and throwing 157 hits while playing 10 minutes a game.
Reaves is 38-years-old and is close to the end of his NHL career. It would be prudent for the Maple Leafs to sign Kostin to compensate for the aggression lost.
Kostin Can Handle Being a “Maple Leaf”
As mentioned in the above section, Kostin played for the Oilers a few seasons ago. Being in a Canadian market has Kostin primed to take on the rigors of being in a media hotbed like Toronto.
In addition to exchanging literal jabs on the ice, he isn’t afraid of engaging with the media outside of the typical hockey cliches.
Another appealing aspect of playing with the Maple Leafs would be Kostin’s familiarity with head coach Craig Berube.
While with the Blues, he spent some time in the top six forward group playing alongside David Perron, Ryan O’Reilly, Rob Thomas, and Mike Hoffman.
Additionally, Berube is a big believer in Kostin’s two-way game and knows what he brings to the table.
“Power forward. Big guy, good skater,” Berube said to the media after being called up during his time with the Blues. “He’s a powerful guy, (he’s) got a good shot, he just has to keep it simple: Forecheck and being physical.”
“He’s an NHL skater and has an NHL shot.”
Kostin struggled to find a role in his time with the Detroit Red Wings and the Sharks. As he demonstrated during his time with the Oilers, if he is given a role with clear expectations and given the right opportunity, he can be a great asset for his team.
The Maple Leafs can cash in on this opportunity by giving Kostin the chance to show that he still has what it takes to play in the NHL.
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