Dmitry Kulikov is staying with the Panthers.
The Florida Panthers are keeping another former Buffalo Sabre around, as they have re-signed defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to a four-year contract with a $1.15 million AAV, as reported by NHL insider Bob McKenzie.
Kulikov, 33, became a solid part of the Panthers' blueline this past season in what was a bounce-back year for the veteran. In 76 regular-season games, he posted one goal, 20 points, 145 hits, and a plus-15 rating. Overall, he proved to be a solid bottom-pairing shutdown defender for the Panthers, and they have given him this nice long-term deal because of it.
Overall, this deal for Kulikov may be long in term, but it also carries an incredibly reasonable cap hit. Thus, this is a move that benefits both the player and the team. Kulikov has received some nice job security, while the Panthers are keeping one of their solid depth defenders around.