Pittsburgh Penguins acquire defenceman Dmitry Kulikov from Anaheim Ducks

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made significant moves to strengthen their defense by acquiring veteran defenseman Dmitry Kulikov in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks. As part of the deal, the Ducks will retain a part of Kulikov's salary.

At 32 years old, Kulikov brings a wealth of experience and a strong defensive mindset to the Penguins, although he is not known for his offensive contributions.

In the current season, he has scored three goals and added 12 assists for a total of 15 points, along with 86 hits. Throughout his career, Kulikov has amassed 213 points in 866 games, played with seven different NHL teams, including the Panthers, Sabres, Jets, Oilers, Devils, Wild, and Ducks.

Kulikov's solid defensive presence on the blue line, combined with his physicality, make him a valuable addition to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is currently Anaheim's leader in blocked shots and shorthanded ice time per game, logging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game. He will provide much-needed depth to the Penguins' defense in the upcoming playoffs.

As a 14-year veteran and unrestricted free agent at the end of the current season, Kulikov's future beyond this year with the Penguins is uncertain. He currently has a salary cap hit of $2.25 million for the 2022-23 season and has an eight-team no-trade list as part of his contract.

Overall, Kulikov's acquisition is a solid move for the Pittsburgh Penguins as they look to strengthen their defensive corps and make a deep playoff run. His experience, defensive prowess, and physicality make him a valuable asset to the team.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2022-23 season so far

The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently sitting in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 31 wins, 21 losses, and nine overtime losses after 61 games played. They have accumulated 71 points so far this season, which places them just outside of an NHL playoff spot.

The Penguins have been relatively consistent this season, but have struggled to gain ground on the top teams in their division. Their offense has been led by captain Sidney Crosby, who has tallied 19 goals and 41 assists in 58 games played.

Center Evgeni Malkin has also been a key contributor with 16 goals and 24 assists in 49 games played.

Defensively, the Pittsburgh Penguins have relied heavily on their top defenseman, Kris Letang, who has recorded 9 goals and 35 assists in 56 games played. Goaltender Tristan Jarry has played in 38 games, recording 2.69 goals against an average of .912 save percentage.

Despite their struggles to gain ground in the standings, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been playing well as of late, going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. They will need to continue their strong play if they hope to make a push for a playoff spot in the highly competitive Metropolitan Division.