Dmitry Kulikov
Chance He Gets Traded: 80%
The New Jersey Devils made a surprise signing of Dmitry Kulikov in the offseason. It was really overshadowed by the acquisitions of Andreas Johnsson, Ryan Murray, and Corey Crawford (remember him?). However, he’s been by far the best of the four offseason additions. Kulikov has been able to hold down a spot with P.K. Subban, and he’s made him look better than any partner of Subban in the past.
Subban’s CorsiFor% with Kulikov is north of 55%. Without Kulikov, Subban has been below 48%. He’s basically been below average without Kulikov this season. With him, he’s been able to gain confidence and play his game.
Still, teams are going to want defense, and Kulikov is one of the most underrated names on the market. A team will be willing to hit the Devils’ price when it’s all said and done. Brandon Montour, Mikael Granlund, and David Savard are other defensive names on the trade charts, but Kulikov might be the first to move based on the price.
In all, the Devils have no assets outside of salary cap space tied into Kulikov. He’s been one of the better assets for the Devils this season, and every game he seems to raise his trade value. There’s a better chance he moves than anyone else on the Devils. The market for him is there, and the Devils won’t be as tied to him as they are Palmieri. Even though he’s definitely helped Subban resurrect his career, and most Devils fans would be okay with an extension, he’s likely on his way out the door.