Ducks in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals - Dmitry Kulikov
The 2025 Stanley Cup finals at set! The Florida Panthers are set to face off against the Edmonton Oilers in what was a rematch of last season’s finals. The Oilers beat the Los Angeles Kings (6), Vegas Golden Knights (5) and Dallas Stars (5), and the Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning (5), Toronto Maple Leafs (7) and Carolina Panthers (5) to advance back to the finals. Florida, led by Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov bested Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers in a hard fought seven games last year, with McDavid even taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy in the loss.
This year, there are some former Anaheim Ducks who are set to play big minutes in the finals. This is day one of a series that will cover who those players are, how they are playing for their current team and what they did in their time in Anaheim. Though none of Florida or Edmonton’s stars have played for the Ducks, there are some role players who will surely make an impact in the upcoming series. Today’s article is about Dmitry Kulikov
Dmitry Kulikov
Drafted by the Panthers in the first round, No. 14 overall in the 2009 NHL Draft, Kulikov has been a steady presence in the NHL since his rookie year. He has played over 1000 games in the league, a tremendous achievement for any player.
During his first stint in Florida, Kulikov was a consistent presence on some up-and-down Panthers teams. He recorded anywhere from 20-30 points a season in seven years with the team, though they only finished above .500 once, in 2011-2012.
After the 2015-2016 season, the Panthers traded Kulikov to the Buffalo Sabres right before the 2016 NHL Draft. The team had just undergone a rebrand, and was looking to build around younger players like Vincent Trocheck, Aaron Ekblad and the aforementioned Barkov. After being traded, Kulikov bounced around the league, going from Buffalo, to Winnipeg, New Jersey, Edmonton and finally Minnesota.
In August of 2022, the Wild were looking to trim their payroll, and sent Kulikov to Anaheim for future considerations. In Anaheim, Kulikov teamed up with the then recently-signed John Klingberg, Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano. In 61 games, the veteran defenseman netted three goals and had 12 assists, before again being traded at the deadline, this time to Pittsburgh. Kulikov played just six games for the Penguins, recording only one assist.
Dmitry Kulikov in his time with the Ducks (Timothy T. Ludwig|USA Today)
Kulikov finally returned “home” to Florida after signing with the team in 2023. He picked up right where he left off in 2016, recording another 20 point season in 2023-2024. In Florida’s Stanley Cup Finals run last season, Kulikov had two assists and 25 blocks.
Kulikov has made quite the second impression on Panthers fans, and his performance in this year’s playoffs has been a breath of fresh air for someone who hasn’t played in many postseason series. He has scored four points, and his 61 hits are No. 3 on the team behind Sam Bennett and Eetu Luostarinen.
Though Kulikov didn’t have a long stint with Anaheim, and has the lowest career points of any player we will talk about in this series, he has been solid as a journeyman, sitting at 247 career points. Currently, his 171 points in a Panthers uniform sit him at No. 6 all time with the franchise, and with one more season under his belt, he could climb into the top five. If Florida were to win the finals again, it would be Kulikov’s second title, and would cement him as one of the Panthers all-time greatest defensemen.
References
ESPN. “Buffalo Sabres aquire defenseman Dmitry Kulikov in deal with Panthers,” and “Minnesota Wild trim payroll, ship well-traveled defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, 31, to Anaheim Ducks.” https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/16505798/buffalo-sabres-acquire-defenseman-dmitry-kulikov-deal-florida-panthers. https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/34496451/minnesota-wild-trim-payroll-ship-well-traveled-defenseman-dmitry-kulikov-31-anaheim-ducks
HockeyReference.com
NHL.com. “Kulikov excited to bring ‘Honest Game’ to Penguins.” https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/kulikov-ready-to-bring-honest-game-to-penguins-341902996
