GM Dale Tallon had a plan, and he's sticking to it, come hell or high water. This time, a defensive player joins forward Dave Bolland with an eye-raising contract that is based on potential instead of proven worth.
Dmitry Kulikov has all the physical tools to be a very good defenseman in the NHL. At times he looks like everything the Panthers hoped for when they selected him the first round(14th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. He has a mean streak, has good offensive awareness, and skates well. However, he also is known for bad passes and questionable decisions in his own zone. On really bad nights he is beaten to and off the puck consistently.
Last season he was far and away the worst player rated player on the team at -26. The next worst defenseman that finished the year as a Panther was Erik Gudbranson at -7.
Gudbranson signed a two-year deal with the Panthers last week at $2.5 million per year. He tallied 3 goals and 6 assists in 65 games.
Kulikov had 8 goals(career high) and 11 assists in 81 games last season. He logged the 2nd most minutes on the team and was a regular on the power play and kill units. Considering both Florida special team units were the worst in the league, his horrendous +/- is not that surprising considering his probably fatigue factor. He was simply a victim of his versatility.
That versatility earned him a 3-year deal worth $13 million.
While signing Kulikov was important to this team moving forward, Florida is one Brian Campbell trade away from Kulikov being the highest paid defenseman on the team. That is a scary thought, because to this point Kulikov has not proven such value.
Is this a classic example of a boom or bust contract? Absolutely.
Is it a contract that could flip a switch in Kulikov's game where he becomes more consistent and dominant? Possibly.
But it is a big risk nonetheless.
Kulikov and Gudbranson are completely different types of players, but at this point in their careers is Kulikov really worth almost $2 million more per season when last year they were only separated by 10 points? Kulikov played in 16 more games.
For those of us that have had the chance to interview Kulikov he comes across as disinterested and quiet. Next to Jay Bouwmeester he might be the least interesting Panther interview ever. But that is just his personality. There is nothing with that as long as it changes on the ice.
But Tallon has said he wants him to now step up as a leader on this team. It will be interesting to see if he has that "it" factor to be such a presence in the locker room. Chances are he will be more of a "lead by example" type player.
Tallon has rolled the dice once again, and if it pans out he will look like a genius. However, if he keeps awarding players contracts they didn't earn, it could bring big problems in the future.
What do you think? Is Kulikov's potential worth such a contract? As always, your comments and input are much appreciated.
Dan Spiegel
Florida Panthers Media
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