Kulikov Ready to Bring "Honest Game" to Penguins

When the NHL's trade deadline day rolled around Friday, defenseman Dmitry Kulikov was at the rink with the Anaheim Ducks ahead of their morning skate. Moments after leaving the arena, Kulikov found out he was becoming a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"Obviously, everybody was looking at the NHL Network, the trade deadline," Kulikov said. "I was there, and I was not playing, so I wasn't skating with the team. Figured I'd just go home, and then on the drive home, my phone started ringing, and guys are sending messages and congratulating for being traded to a good team. It just clicked after a few moments. The trade's been made, and you get a call. It was exciting."
The Penguins acquired Kulikov from the Ducks in exchange for forward Brock McGinn and a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. In 61 games with the Ducks this season prior to the swap, Kulikov recorded 15 points (3G-12A). Five (1G-4A) of those 15 points came in Kulikov's final seven games with Anaheim prior to Friday's trade.
Penguins general manager Ron Hextall said that the acquisition of Kulikov - who will wear No. 7 - provides the team with more defensive depth, as Pittsburgh now has eight active blueliners on the roster.
"It gives us a player that can play on both sides," Hextall said. "He's a heavy player. He's got a good defensive presence. He can kill penalties. So, we're excited about that."
Kulikov said that he just tries to play an "honest game," while adding that it's important to always be present at both ends of the ice.
"Work hard and try to play the game the right way," Kulikov said. "Don't cheat, make plays when they're there, make simple plays when I have to, play hard on defense. Also be a part of the offense, of course, because I believe that it's a five-man game and when you're defending, all five should defend.
"And when you're on offense, all five guys should be on offense. If you're a defenseman, it doesn't mean that you just stay at the blueline and just let the forwards do all the work. You gotta help out, too, on offense."
Kulikov, 32, is currently in his 14th NHL season. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan described him as a veteran, saying that he likes the reliability of Kulikov's game, and that they're "excited to get him in the lineup." Kulikov skated on the right side of a pairing with Jan Rutta today, a spot that had been previously occupied by P.O Joseph. The tandems of Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang and Marcus Pettersson and Jeff Petry remained the same.
"He's a real trustworthy defenseman," Sullivan said of Kulikov. "He's good on the penalty kill. In Anaheim, he played against a lot of teams' top players all year long. His size and his strength, I think, will help us. He's just a reliable, trustworthy guy that brings a defensive conscience, solid penalty killing ability, and just makes us harder to play against back there."
Although Kulikov is a seasoned professional, he was only familiar with a few faces when arriving at PPG Paints Arena and taking the ice with his new teammates for the first time on Monday. knew Evgeni Malkin (a fellow Russian) and Josh Archibald (a teammate with the Edmonton Oilers in 2020-21), but said he met everybody else today. Kulikov likes what he's seen in his limited time here so far.
"It's only my first day," Kulikov said. "I got in last night. So far, I'm impressed with everything, and the professionalism. And organization-wise, everything has been top-class."