Kos split time between Ilves’ Liiga squad and their U20 team in the SM-Sarja in 2024-2025. He saw more success with the U20 squad- with seven goals and seven assists in 10 games- but played most of the season in the professional Liiga. Across 26 games, he scored three times and added two assists. He was the third youngest player on the team, and saw limited minutes- regularly under 10 minutes a night- which is not uncommon for a 19 year old. He should see more use next season and continue to develop playing against men. At 6-2 and only 176 pounds, he will need to work at gaining muscle in order to be able to keep up with the rigors of the NHL season and- given that he plays a forechecking style game- to ensure he can win puck battles against bigger, stronger players.

Kos was selected 81st overall by the St.Louis Blues.

Kos has impressed in our viewings reaching back to the Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament last summer, where he stood out as one of the top defensive forwards at the showing. Since, he has continued to convince us with refined defensive habits, a possession-oriented approach, and a composed on-puck game. His puck skills remain raw, but he has shown flashes of intriguing playmaking and use of his processing speed and speed differentials to create gaps in defensive structures. The upside may be a bit limited with Kos, but once he grows into his frame, we expect him to play reliable and consistent minutes in an NHL bottom-six. Sebastian High