Minnesota Trade Veteran Defenceman To Anaheim

 

The Anaheim Ducks are one of the teams to watch out for in 2022, as they could make a significant leap forward, led by the skills and talent of Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, Mason MacTavish and other young names, and today they made a move to get better on the blue line too, by adding veteran defenceman Dmitry Kulikov. The Ducks made a trade with the Minnesota Wild for future considerations, and given the experience Kulikov has at the NHL level (805 games while racking up 198 points) with Florida, Buffalo and Winnipeg among others, it's a great move for depth.

TRADE:
We have acquired defenseman Dmitry Kulikov from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for future considerations.

➡️ https://t.co/Sl7BuEsGDY pic.twitter.com/GtZloaB5MI

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) August 31, 2022

Kulikov has never been a star at the NHL level, but he's been a strong, dependable veteran for many years, and after a poor 2020 season with the Edmonton Oilers, he bounced back in 2021/22 with the Wild. He netted 7 goals and 17 assists for 20 points over 80 games, and as he'll likely be a 7th defender in Anaheim, he's a fantastic depth addition. 

The blue line in Anaheim is looking solid, and with the addition of John Klingberg in the off-season, this could be a very strong D core in 2022/23, especially if they can remain healthy. The future of John Gibson is up in the air right now, but if this team can come together and build chemistry and toughness around this talented young core, we could see a team on the rise. 

Photo Credit: Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports