Per the Detroit Red Wings:
RED WINGS SIGN KLIM KOSTIN; RE-SIGN MATT LUFF AND GUSTAV LINDSTROM
… Kostin Signs Two-Year Deal; Luff and Lindstrom Return on One-Year Contracts …
DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today signed center Klim Kostin to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2 million. Additionally, the Red Wings re-signed right wing Matt Luff to a one-year, two-way contract and re-signed defenseman Gustav Lindstrom to a one-year contract with an average annual value of $950,000.
Kostin, 24, spent the majority of the 2022-23 season with the Edmonton Oilers, recording 21 points (11-10-21), a plus-12 rating and 66 penalty minutes in 57 regular-season games. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound forward also collected five points (3-2-5) and nine penalty minutes in 12 postseason contests. Additionally, Kostin logged four points (2-2-4) and 15 penalty minutes in nine games with the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors during the 2022-23 campaign. Kostin helped Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League win a Gagarin Cup championship in 2020-21, accumulating 18 points (7-11-18), a plus-six rating and 50 penalty minutes in 43 games before adding nine points (5-4-9) and 44 penalty minutes in 24 playoff matchups. Originally selected by the St. Louis Blues in the first round (31st overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Kostin has registered 32 points (16-16-32) and 89 penalty minutes in 103 NHL games with the Blues and Oilers since 2019-20. He has also compiled 92 points (34-58-92) and 263 penalty minutes in 207 AHL games with the San Antonio Rampage and Condors.
A native of Penza, Russia, Kostin made his professional debut with Dynamo Moscow in the KHL during the 2016-17 season, finishing with a plus-one rating and 27 penalty minutes in eight games. Kostin also netted one goal and four penalty minutes in nine appearances with Dynamo Balashikha of the Supreme Hockey League (VHL) in 2016-17. On the international stage, Kostin captained Russia to a bronze medal at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, notching six points (3-3-6) and 10 penalty minutes in seven games. He also competed at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship, showing eight points (5-3-8) and a plus-seven rating in five appearances. Kostin recorded seven points (4-3-7) and 29 penalty minutes in five games at the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, along with four assists and four penalty minutes in five games captaining Russia at the 2016 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
Luff, 26, split the 2022-23 season between the Red Wings and the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound forward recorded four points (2-2-4) in 19 games with the Red Wings, in addition to 25 points (8-17-25) and six penalty minutes in 28 games with the Griffins. In 2021-22, Luff notched six points (3-3-6), a plus-three rating and four penalty minutes in 23 games with the Nashville Predators while averaging over a point-per-game in the AHL, tallying 31 points (14-17-31), a plus-one rating and 16 penalty minutes in 30 appearances for the Milwaukee Admirals. Luff has played parts of five NHL seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, Predators and Red Wings, logging 27 points (15-12-27) and 20 penalty minutes in 106 games since 2018-19. He has also compiled 145 points (57-88-145), a plus-10 rating and 116 penalty minutes in 197 AHL games over parts of seven seasons with the Ontario Reign, Admirals and Griffins.
A native of Oakville, Ont., Luff was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kings on Sept. 22, 2016 and made his professional debut with the Reign at the end of the 2016-17 season. Prior to turning professional, Luff played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Belleville Bulls and Hamilton Bulldogs from 2014-17, accumulating 137 points (61-76-137), a plus-two rating and 96 penalty minutes in 170 games. He also registered 11 points (5-6-11) in 11 postseason contests during his major junior career.
Lindstrom, 24, spent the 2022-23 campaign with the Red Wings, tallying eight points (1-7-8) and 20 penalty minutes in 36 games. The 6-foot-2, 186-pound defenseman also played the entire 2021-22 season in Detroit, setting career highs in games played (63), assists (12), points (13), penalty minutes (22), shots (41), blocks (77) and hits (59). In all, Lindstrom has recorded 25 points (2-23-25) and 56 penalty minutes in 128 games with the Red Wings since making his NHL debut in 2019-20. He also dished out eight assists and 34 penalty minutes in 58 AHL games with the Griffins from 2019-21. Prior to the start of the 2020-21 NHL season, Lindstrom notched 11 assists and 20 penalty minutes in 20 appearances with Almtuna IS in Sweden’s second-highest professional league.
Originally selected by the Red Wings in the second round (38th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Lindstrom played three full seasons professionally in Sweden before moving to North America. In 2018-19, Lindstrom helped Frölunda HC earn a Swedish Hockey League championship, posting six points (3-3-6) and 50 penalty minutes in 40 regular-season games, in addition to six points (2-4-6) in 11 games as Frölunda won the Champions Hockey League tournament. The Ostervala, Sweden, native also appeared in 107 games with Almtuna IS over two stints, tallying 34 points (8-26-34) and 80 penalty minutes from 2016-18 and 2020-21. On the international stage, Lindstrom captured a silver medal for Sweden at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship, finishing with one assist and eight penalty minutes in seven games. Prior to turning professional, Lindstrom totaled 14 points (6-8-14), a plus-10 rating and 12 penalty minutes in nine games with Almtuna IS in Sweden’s top junior league and 51 points (20-31-51), a plus-18 rating and 68 penalty minutes in 59 games at the under-18 level.
