The Detroit Red Wings have gotten their newest addition under contract.
Klim Kostin, acquired in a trade Thursday, agreed to a two-year, $4 million deal Saturday, hours ahead of free agency. The Wings also re-upped defenseman Gustav Lindstrom for one year with a $950,000 annual average value.
The Kostin signing happened the day after the Wings bought out Kailer Yamamoto, who was part of the draft-day deal with the Edmonton Oilers. It was Kostin, 24, whom the Wings targeted as someone who can make them tougher to play against.
“Kostin is a big winger, plays hard,” general manager Steve Yzerman said Thursday. “We were looking to add some of that.
“He’s big and he skated well, got more involved. He played on a pretty deep team in Edmonton, so this is an opportunity to take on a bigger role. We felt like he showed he can play in the NHL as a regular, that was our opinion. We’re optimistic he can work his way into a bigger role with us.”
Lindstrom, 24, is still trying to show if and where he fits with the Wings. He generally makes good decisions with the puck, but his lack of physicality is what keeps him from being a regular.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings sign newly acquired Klim Kostin to 2-year contract