Blues nab Klim Kostin with final pick in 1st round after trade with Pens

The St. Louis Blues drafted Klim Kostin 31st overall Friday night after acquiring the pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Klim Kostin

Position: Left Wing/Center
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 196 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Dynamo Moscow
Nationality: Russian

The Russian forward wasn't one of the most coveted prospects entering this draft, but he did have a couple of things in common with Nolan Patrick.

Kostin's KHL campaign was derailed by an injury, as a shoulder ailment limited him to only eight games and forced him to have season-ending surgery in February.

Despite the setback, he finished atop NHL Central Scouting's final rankings for European skaters, just as Patrick's injury didn't stop him from being ranked first among North American non-goaltenders.

Kostin possesses an intriguing mix of size and skill. He impressed at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup last summer, and appeared to put this winter's injury behind him when he was medically cleared at the NHL Scouting Combine earlier in June.