"I'll always remember it": Kostin writes farewell to Oilers fans

Though he was only an Edmonton Oiler for one season, it is clear that the city and organization meant a lot to Klim Kostin.

Last week, the Oilers made the difficult decision to trade Kostin along with Kailer Yamamoto to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for future considerations. The trade was made to help open up cap space, as it cleared Yamamoto’s $3.1 million deal off the books. Kostin, on the other hand, was an RFA in line for a big raise after an impressive season.

After taking a few days to come to grips with what played out, Kostin took to Instagram on Tuesday morning to thank Oilers fans for the support this past season.

“I can’t extend my gratitude enough to the best fans I [have] ever seen,” Kostin wrote. “Your love and support mean a lot to me. You gave me a second wind, and I’ll always remember it. I’m sad we couldn’t bring the Oilers a Cup this year. [You] really deserve it! Thank you again Oilers fans. See you later.”

@klimkostin/Instagram

Kostin was acquired by the Oilers just before the 2022-23 season in a deal that saw Dmitri Samorukov head the other way. The 24-year-old at that time was a prospect struggling to hold down a job in the NHL, but quickly found his way in Edmonton, scoring 11 goals and 21 points in 57 games.

His impressive stint with the Oilers clearly caught the attention of other organizations around the league. Shortly after this recent trade, the Red Wings chose to buy out Yamamoto but signed Kostin to a two-year, $4 million deal.

As disappointing as it was to see Kostin head out the door, it gave the Oilers some much-needed cap space heading into free agency. They made the most of it, signing highly touted free agent Connor Brown to a one-year deal with a cap hit of just $775,000 for the upcoming season.

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