Oilers look to sign Ryan McLeod, Evan Bouchard and 4th line center. Earlier in the 2023 off-season the Edmonton Oilers [https://puckpedia.com/team/edmonton-oilers]sent out young forwards Kailer Yamamoto [https://puckpedia.com/player/kailer-yamamoto] and Klim Kostin [https://puckpedia.com/player/klim-kostin] to the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations. From the Oilers' perspective this was a cap dump move [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/news/oilers-trade-yamamoto-to-the-red-wings] as Yamamoto was making $3.1-million. Related: Oilers' 2023 Off-Season Guide [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/opinion/oilers-2023-off-season-guide] In a surprising turn of events, the Red Wings bought out Yamamoto's contract [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/news/red-wings-buy-out-former-oiler-what-was-the-point-in-trading-him] almost 24 hours after executing the trade with the Oilers. So it appeared like Kostin was the real target of the trade, and taking on Yamamoto was the cost associated with trading for Kostin. Klim Kostin [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk4NTkwMTY0OTg4MDc3NTA3/usatsi_20500732_168401874_lowres-1.jpg] Klim Kostin This was up for debate when the Red Wings chose to not extend a qualifying offer to Kostin, given his restricted free agent status. Were the Red Wings going to walk away from an asset they acquired a day prior? And then the morning that Free Agency was set to open up the Red Wings announced a new two-year $2-million cap hit contract for Kostin. This is a great deal for both parties. Kostin gets the chance to prove that he has what it takes to stick with an NHL team all season. The Red Wings spent a modest amount on a player who can solidify the depth yet go up in the line up depending on the game situation. With 21 points in 57 games in 2022-23, there is room to grow for Kostin to contribute more offensively to the Red Wings than he did for the Oilers.
