Kostin Reads Twitter

If there's one thing I could never understand when it came to the St. Louis Blues, it was how Klim Kostin was always playing for their AHL affiliates. While he played in 40 games last season for the Blues, it always seemed like he had way too much talent to be toiling in places like San Antonio and Springfield. The Blues may have been waiting for him to break out in a big way which, admittedly, never happened, but something prompting an October trade from St. Louis to Edmonton where Kostin could start fresh. He has played nine games in Bakersfield, but he may have endeared himself to Oilers fans forever with his locker room interview today where he was honest, funny, and absolutely took one member of the media down a few notches.

The Russian-born winger has scored a couple of goals and four points in 16 games since joining the Oilers, and he's played well enough to justify Jay Woodcroft keeping him in the lineup. His English seems to be good enough to answer questions from reporters, but he's very straight-forward and, perhaps, too honest when it comes to answering some questions. Case in point? His answer to reporter Jim Matheson's question about whether he still follows the Blues.

If we step back for a second, I have absolutely no problem with Kostin poking fun at Matheson. All sports reporters fall into the mundane by asking the same questions of players, and it's a big reason why clichés are the way of life for all NHL players. Kostin's honesty, while unintentional, was funny, unexpected, and it showed a level of humanity in that he reads Twitter!

The above exchange was part of a five-minute interview that Kostin gave to Edmonton reporters today. The full interview is below, so get ready to chuckle at Kostin's exchanges on a number of topic.
How refreshing is it to hear a player just tell it like it is? I understand the "public relations" angle that most teams impose on players, but I like seeing a little personality come out in players. Kostin's honesty and openness may not be entirely intentional as a foreigner trying to answer questions, but he tells it like it is with most of the questions and I appreciate that.

While he likely won't skate with McDavid or Draisaitl, maybe some of that honesty shown by Kostin can rub off on the two Oilers stars when it comes to the interviews they give. They can still be stars and represent the league and themselves well, but there's nothing wrong with having a little fun when answering the same dozen questions in every city. A little personality never hurts.

Not that it will matter to GM Ken Holland nor head coach Jay Woodcroft, but it appears that Kostin's personality has already endeared him to Oilers fans thanks to the above interview. If he can score a few goals, make some solid defensive plays, and continue to be a good teammate, he'll remain in Edmonton where fans can only hope he'll keep delivering answers like he did today.

Sometimes, a little personality can do a lot of good.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!