So it may seem as if Klim Kostin has gotten lost behind those headlines, but he is no afterthought as far as the Blues are concerned.

“I thought he had a fantastic year last year as an 18-year-old (in San Antonio),” said Tim Taylor, the Blues’ director of player development. “He was one of our toughest competitors. For an 18-year-old, he never backed down from a single situation on the ice.”

A first-round pick (No. 31 overall) in 2017, Kostin made the jump from hockey in Russia to San Antonio of the American Hockey League last season.

By rule, European players are allowed to play in the AHL at a younger age than North American skaters, so there was Kostin — a long way from his hometown of Penza, Russia — in the AHL at age 18. (He has since turned 19, on May 5.)

At first glance, his statistics were modest for the Rampage: six goals and 22 assists in 67 games. But keep in mind, San Antonio was an affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche last season. The Blues had an agreement to send several of their prospects there, but playing time wasn’t necessarily guaranteed.

“I felt that (Kostin) probably could have got more ice time in power-play situations,” Taylor said. “Again, we didn’t run the team 100 percent so we really just went in and watched.”

Additionally, Kostin spent the year mainly on the second, third and even fourth lines.

“This year now we have full control of the team so we can have our guys playing a lot more minutes, the guys that need to play, and in their rightful situations,” Taylor said.

As a teenager in a strange land, Kostin had his father live with him in San Antonio to help in the transition.

“The rest of the guys have their wives and family around, and he’s going to his dad,” Taylor said. “They’re pros and he didn’t understand what a pro is all about. His dad was taking care of him.

“So we expect him this year now to kind of grow up a little bit and understand what the pros are all about and be on his own a little bit. He’s learned the language pretty good.

“He fit in with the guys in the locker room last year. I know talking to the players throughout the year, they laughed and joked around, they thought a lot of him.”

Normally players with a full year in the AHL don’t participate in the Blues’ prospects camp, but Taylor said Kostin was brought in because of his age and background, to mingle and work with his organizational teammates and get some face time with the coaches.

Taylor said Kostin needs to rely more on puck movement and puck distribution and less on one-on-one play to become the NHL player they think he can be. He has a strong frame for his age and fits the power-forward mold.

“To me, you can still see the skill,” coach Mike Yeo said at the end of prospects camp. “But it looked like he was pressing … trying to do a little too much. It looked like every time he had the puck, he was trying to make a play that was gonna put him on our team. Which is totally understandable for a 19-year-old kid.

“What I’m looking for, I’m looking to see him come into camp (in September) and play a real solid team game and play a game that helps his teammates be effective and puts him in a position for his skill to come out. Because you can see the skill.”