TEMPE, Ariz. — The Detroit Red Wings unloaded underachieving forward Klim Kostin a couple hours before Friday's deadline.

They sent him to the San Jose Sharks for minor-league defenseman Radim Simek and New Jersey's 2024 seventh-round pick.

Kostin was in his first year with the Wings, acquired last summer in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers in hopes he would add grit to the Wings' lineup. Kostin, 24, was signed to a two-year, $4 million deal by general manager Steve Yzerman. But Kostin (four points, 33 games) never found his footing, and, until appearing in Wednesday's 7-2 loss at the Colorado Avalanche, had been a healthy scratch the previous eight games.

"He's a young player that wants to play and wants an opportunity, and he just wasn't getting that," general manager Steve Yzerman said. "So it's best for the, it's best for us. We couldn't afford to have a $2-million forward not in the lineup next year."

"Klim is, first of all, a great teammate," Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. "He did a lot of things for us here. I liked coaching him.

"Even throughout this year, he expressed some interest of playing up higher in the lineup. I think that's what he wants to be a little bit, within in this league now. I think he'll get the opportunity in San Jose."

Right after the trade, the Wings loaned Simek, 31, to the Grand Rapids Griffins. He's appeared in 209 NHL games dating back to 2018-19, all with the Sharks, most recently playing 44 games last season. Simek is on an expiring contract, so he comes off the books after this season. Essentially, the Wings cleared some cap room, and a roster spot, in shipping out Kostin.

The trade was announced just as the Wings took the ice at Mullett Arena for their morning skate ahead of the evening game against the Arizona Coyotes.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her @helenestjames.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings trade Klim Kostin for player, pick at deadline