The Pittsburgh Penguins’ trade deadline additions appear to be cursed. Last week, they lost freshly acquired center Nick Bonino to a lacerated kidney . On Tuesday morning, coach Mike Sullivan revealed that defenseman Dmitry Kulikov will be out week to week with an undisclosed injury.
Kulikov was forced out of Sunday’s game against the New York Rangers with the injury. He had logged just nine shifts and 8:13 of ice time before exiting. It was just his fourth game since the Penguins acquired him on March 3, trade deadline day, from the Anaheim Ducks for forward Brock McGinn and a 2024 third-round draft pick. In addition to eating McGinn’s $2.75 million cap hit through 2024-25, the Ducks retained 50 percent salary on Kulikov’s $2.5 million AAV, meaning the Penguins were using just $1.125 million of cap space on their new blueline acquisition.
Kulikov, 32, had one point in his first four games with Pittsburgh, averaging 14:09 of ice time in his three completed contests while playing on the third pair with Jan Rutta. The two were off to a so-so start as a duo. In 35:25 together at 5-on-5, the Pens had been outshot 17-12 and outchanced 12-7. Kulikov, however, was being used on the penalty kill, as was new acquisition Bonino. Losing both is a blow to a team ranked 15th on the PK with a 79.7 percent efficiency rate.
The Penguins solider on missing their two new pieces in the midst of a battle for an Eastern Conference playoff spot. With 78 points, they hold down the first wild card spot at the moment. They have a game in hand on the Florida Panthers, who sit five points out of a playoff spot, and are seven points up on the Buffalo Sabres, who have played the same number of games. The Pens host the lowly Montreal Canadiens Tuesday night.
