Confirmed with Link: Blue Jackets sign defensemen Blake Siebenaler and Dean Kukan to entry level contracts

[WannabeFinn]

Kukan will be at least a solid defender in the NHL, if he gets the confidence and lets lose he can do some nice stuffs!
As mention before, he is a young kid still.. His strenghts are skating, puckhandling and vision. Not the most physical or defensiveminded player. Need to work on being strong in front of net and the boards.

I should compare him with defenders like Ekman-Larsson, Josi and Erik Karlsson. He can go coast to coast with the puck.
I feel like he need a great confidence boost, and dont be closed down by the coaches.

say what

 

[viiggen]

say what

Yes, not as good ofc.. He can be, who knows. The skating is top class, puckhandling, vision etc.
As i wrote, he need to work on his defensive plays. And most of all, he need to get confidence and belive in him self..
I hope i havent said to much, those players i compared with was just from the top of my head.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Where Fran and Ollie?

Already addressed.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

http://www.luleahockey.se/artikel/67155/

Interview with Kukan. Says still has work to do to reach his dream in the NHL. Said he didn't know any English before going to Sweden for 4 years, but has clearly picked it up well.

.....I wonder if that will be a path more non-English speaking players will do? Swedish players seem to speak English better than most Americans and having 17-19 year-olds spending time there to learn pro hockey and English at the same time may help acclimate them to the NHL.

 

[meyhem]

Sad to see him leave Lulea, but you are getting their best D in the SHL playoffs.
Very nice skating ability, seems so fluid. Have also improved alot this last year(especially on his defensive skills). Will probably need a year in AHL first, but I think he will end up in the NHL pretty soon if he will continue to improve his game.
So grats to CBJ for picking up a very promising d-man

 

[AvsRobin]

Dean Kukan is my favourite defenseman in the SHL. Congratulations.

Moves the puck well with great vision and good skating. Probably wont be the defenseman who puts point up on the PP but solid in everything he does.

 

[Xoggz22]

Great to hear such positive feedback on Kukan. I'm hopeful he'll adjust to the NA game and have a shot in the NHL. Would be nice to see the CBJ with a Josi type d-man (success!)

 

[EspenK]

Great to hear such positive feedback on Kukan. I'm hopeful he'll adjust to the NA game and have a shot in the NHL. Would be nice to see the CBJ with a Josi type d-man (success!)

Remember, I think we heard similar about Jarmo's previous signings.
Sooner or later he's bound to get his Soderberg

 

[Eikka]

http://swisshockeynews.ch/index.php...s-fall-lulea-hf-hopes-for-dean-kukan-s-return

So Luleå wants Kukan back if he doesn't make the team out of camp (and I don't think he does just yet). He's turning 22 in July so don't know how that works. Does it burn a year of his ELC contract if he goes back to Sweden for next season?

 

[Viqsi]

http://swisshockeynews.ch/index.php...s-fall-lulea-hf-hopes-for-dean-kukan-s-return

So Luleå wants Kukan back if he doesn't make the team out of camp (and I don't think he does just yet). He's turning 22 in July so don't know how that works. Does it burn a year of his ELC contract if he goes back to Sweden for next season?

That's... a little different. I understand that that sort of thing does happen on occasion if the NHL team agrees to it at the time, but I've never heard of it being compulsory. Maybe they just have hopes that it'll work out that way?

 

[CBJWerenski8]

http://swisshockeynews.ch/index.php...s-fall-lulea-hf-hopes-for-dean-kukan-s-return

So Luleå wants Kukan back if he doesn't make the team out of camp (and I don't think he does just yet). He's turning 22 in July so don't know how that works. Does it burn a year of his ELC contract if he goes back to Sweden for next season?

I believe they could either mutually terminate the contract (Simon Hjalmarsson situation) or loan him back and still have his rights (Filatov and Dansk situations).

 

[JKinCLE]

I really hope Siebenaler can eventually become a Jacket. Like Milano, he is another product of the Cleveland Barons AAA team. They had 5 guys drafted in 2014 alone!

 

[KlichkoBro*]

That's... a little different. I understand that that sort of thing does happen on occasion if the NHL team agrees to it at the time, but I've never heard of it being compulsory. Maybe they just have hopes that it'll work out that way?

Kukan has 1 more year on his contract with Luleå and their manager just confirmed it: "he's in possession of a valid contract with us". So he's got 2 professional contracts now and it might be compulsory.

 

[Viqsi]

Kukan has 1 more year on his contract with Luleå and their manager just confirmed it: "he's in possession of a valid contract with us". So he's got 2 professional contracts now and it might be compulsory.

Hm. If his contract there had a special out clause for this sort of thing, then that'd be a little different. I'm not sure if the NHL's standard player contract allows for that, but, meh. Will be interesting to see how it develops.