Former Oiler returns to watch playoffs, signals return in free agency

On his Instagram yesterday afternoon, Kostin posted that he's travelled to Edmonton to watch the team through their playoff run this year. He captioned his picture: 'Home for the playoffs.'

Kostin's affection towards the Oilers was on display a few weeks ago when he returned to Edmonton with the San Jose Sharks recently. Then, Kostin said that Edmonton feels like his home, and he truly loved his time with the Oilers. He's currently under contract with the Sharks until the end of the 2024-25 season, but with comments and actions like these, it seems he'd really want to return to the Oilers in free agency. Apparently, he still even lives in Edmonton during the summer.

In the 2022-23 season, Kostin was a great fit with the Oilers as a high quality power forward in the bottom six. In 57 games, the former first round pick scored 11 goals and 22 points, then put up fantastic playoff performances. If the Oilers are interested in bringing back the young power forward, it seems like Kostin would actually beg to sign a contract.