Former St. Louis Blues first-round pick, Klim Kostin, is returning to the KHL after signing a contract to play the remainder of the current season with Avangard Omsk, the KHL club announced on Monday.

Kostin was selected in the first round, 31st overall, by the Blues in the 2017 NHL Draft. He went on to play 46 games with the Blues, scoring four goals and 11 points. He was also a key figure in the Blues' AHL affiliate, but throughout his Blues tenure, he would return to the KHL.

His time with the Blues had more negatives than positives, and it's why he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 9, 2022, for Dmitri Samorukov. 

Kostin had a career season with the Oilers, scoring 11 goals and 21 points in 57 games. He and Kailer Yamamoto were shipped to the Detroit Red Wings in the 2023 off-season, and Kostin signed a two-year, $2-million AAV contract. 

One final NHL transaction would involve Kostin, as he was dealt to the San Jose Sharks from the Red Wings midway through his first season with the club. Kostin's contract expired this off-season, and the Sharks had no interest in retaining him. After being unable to find an NHL team, Kostin will return to Russia to play with a familiar team, Avangard Omsk.

The 26-year-old won a Gagarin Cup in 2021, and their current team has the best record in the KHL’s Chernyshev Division with 29 points in 21 games. The team’s roster includes Nail Yakupov, Michael McLeod, Vyacheslav Voynov and Maxime Lajoie, and the head coach is Canadian Guy Boucher.

“We are happy to have Klim back with Avangard,” said Omsk GM Alexei Sopin. “Obviously, a lot of time has passed since our initial offer, so we needed to renegotiate all the terms. Kostin is familiar with the demands of North American coaches, has experience in the KHL, and can play in any situation. He will have his first practice today and will go to the Far East road trip with the team.”

The 6-foot-4 winger finished his NHL career with 25 goals and 53 points in 190 games. 

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