The New Jersey Devils are again sellers at the NHL Trade Deadline. This time they have traded defenceman Dmitry Kulikov to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a conditional 2022 fourth-round draft pick. Kevin Weekes first reported the trade on Monday.
Conditional 4th when done. https://t.co/yOf4MM8KXv
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) April 12, 2021
Dmitry Kulikov On The Move
The Devils signed Dmitry Kulikov during free agency in October as they looked to bolster their defence. Kulikov has been everything they hoped for and more. Thus raising his trade value for the Devils entering deadline season. He has played well for the Devils on their second and third pairings. While he has only two points on the season, the Devils did not sign him for his offence. They signed him for defence and what he can do defensively. And he has played admirably despite a tough season in New Jersey. He has averaged about 18 minutes a game and has taken on some responsibilities than originally thought under head coach Lindy Ruff. Many figured Kulikov would be a sixth or seventh defenceman this season. However, he has been more, thus the reason for the Devils to trade him.
Kulikov was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in the first round (14th overall) in the 2009 NHL Draft. After playing with the Panthers, he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres. After a disappointing tenure with the Sabres, he signed with the Winnipeg Jets, where he was very good for the Jets. In his career, Kulikov has 172 points (35 goals and 135 assists) in 712 NHL career games. Kulikov has appeared in 24 career post-season games netting seven points ( one goal and six assists).
What the Future Holds
For Kulikov, Edmonton will be getting a player that can fill a role on the bottom pair of their defence. He will not be eating a ton of minutes as he did with the Devils. However, Kulikov can be a guy that is thrown out there to give the top pairing guys some rest. He will have a similar role to what Braydon Coburn did with the Tampa Bay Lightning during their run to the Stanley Cup in 2020. Having guys like Kulikov help your team get over the finish. In the right role, he will be an effective player.
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