NHL Trade Rumors: Panthers’ Dmitry Kulikov getting lots of interest

After signing Keith Yandle, the Florida Panthers have been getting a ton of trade interest in defenseman Dmitry Kulikov.

The Florida Panthers have been very aggressive this offseason as they seek to improve a team that won the Atlantic Division, but lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to the New York Islanders. They began their offseason by trading for the free agent rights of defenseman Keith Yandle and signing him to a lucrative seven year deal. Now they might be trading defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, who has been getting a ton of interest on the trade market.

Kulikov is a legitimate top four NHL defenseman, having averaged over 20 minutes of ice time per game in each of his last five seasons. However, his possession numbers have not been impressive, and with the Panthers front office now focused on analytics, Kulikov could be expendable. He has a cap figure of just over $4.3 million and is scheduled to hit the free agent market after the 2016-17 season.

Trading Kulikov would likely mean that the Panthers are very optimistic about their chances of re-signing Brian Campbell or adding someone like Jason Demers or Dan Hamhuis. It’s worth noting that 2014 first overall pick Aaron Ekblad has thrived while playing alongside Campbell on the Panthers’ first pairing. Kulikov likely isn’t going to be moved, but it’s quite telling that the Panthers are exploring their options and listening to trade offers. It could just be a rumor, but where there’s smoke, there’s usually a fire somewhere.

For more NHL coverage, check out our hub page.