The Pittsburgh Penguins are likely utilizing their newest member against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

PITTSBURGH - For the first time since being traded, defenseman Dmitry Kulikov took in a skate with his new Pittsburgh Penguins teammates.

The veteran defender has played 866 career games and was traded away from the Anaheim Ducks for Brock McGinn and a draft pick.

During his first practice, head coach Mike Sullivan paired Kulikov with Jan Rutta on the third line, in place of P.O. Joseph.

With the addition of Kulikov, Joseph skated alongside Chad Ruhwedel on a fourth pairing.

According to Sullivan, he expects Kulikov to slot into the lineup and make his Penguins debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

If the lines hold from practice to the game, that likely means Joseph and Ruhwedel will be the healthy scratches for the Penguins.

Taking Joseph out of the lineup isn’t the perfect idea for the Penguins for the remainder of the season, but it’s understandable to utilize a new face and see what you have as an option.

Sullivan likes what Kulikov can bring to the table for the Penguins blue line, believing that a smaller role should fit him well.

“In Anaheim he played against a lot of teams’ top players,” Sullivan said. “His size and his strength will help us.”

With 20 games remaining in the season, it is likely Joseph eventually slots back in as the Penguins push for playoff positioning.

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