Confirmed with Link: Dmitry Kulikov re-signs 3 years for $4.3m/year

[Dr Beinfest]

Yeah, I would say a third line makes or breaks this team.

A large part of our early success when we won the Southeast was the ability to ice three lines that could all be threats.

 

[Egblad]

I really like this deal, even if Kulikov may not be quite deserving of it yet, it shows we are taking care of our home-grown talent, and not battling with them for every little cent we can. We even got a UFA year, I really like it. Looking for a big year from Kuli.

 

[jrockett1096]

Kulikov was a good signing and taking away a UFA year was huge. Kulikov would get 5 million in the open market if he was available right now. He is young, big, fast, hits, can score a little bit, can play big minutes and playing with a good d partner with solid coaching behind him he could break out. Other teams would see the same thing and pay up the nose for him. I hope he plays with a good partner he has chemistry with and can finally show what he can do and be the best overall dman on the team.

Now what I don't like is how close to the cap we are and it seems 12th overall in payroll and I don't see us no where near challenging for even the 8th spot. I mean more than 8 million dollars in salary for D. Bolland and Kopecky? 7 million for a declining Campbell who now quits when the team is about out of the playoff race? Resigning players to larger contracts who we know have potential but also the same guys who have had us in the lottery these past few years does not fill me with confidence we are challenging for a playoff spot. I know some here are saying well this year does not matter so much regarding the cap because next year some guys are will be UFAs on this team and they will come off the books but that's not the point. We have a lot of money tied to 3rd and 4th liners EVERY YEAR and it seems thats all this team can sign in the FA market are these types and its been that way since forever. Is this our team strategy how to build our team? Normally you like your top guys playing on the top 6 making all the money and the lower lines with some young players and cheap labor veteran guys like Winchester was last year and Goc who for the money did a more than decent job. This just seems all backwards with all this money going to guys who are the checkers and plumbers and the younger cheaper guys being the guys counted on to make or break the season. This is all seems like a recipe for another top 10 pick in next years draft and an expensive team at that.

 

[Egblad]

Kulikov was a good signing and taking away a UFA year was huge. Kulikov would get 5 million in the open market if he was available right now. He is young, big, fast, hits, can score a little bit, can play big minutes and playing with a good d partner with solid coaching behind him he could break out. Other teams would see the same thing and pay up the nose for him. I hope he plays with a good partner he has chemistry with and can finally show what he can do and be the best overall dman on the team.

Now what I don't like is how close to the cap we are and it seems 12th overall in payroll and I don't see us no where near challenging for even the 8th spot. I mean more than 8 million dollars in salary for D. Bolland and Kopecky? 7 million for a declining Campbell who now quits when the team is about out of the playoff race? Resigning players to larger contracts who we know have potential but also the same guys who have had us in the lottery these past few years does not fill me with confidence we are challenging for a playoff spot. I know some here are saying well this year does not matter so much regarding the cap because next year some guys are will be UFAs on this team and they will come off the books but that's not the point. We have a lot of money tied to 3rd and 4th liners EVERY YEAR and it seems thats all this team can sign in the FA market are these types and its been that way since forever. Is this our team strategy how to build our team? Normally you like your top guys playing on the top 6 making all the money and the lower lines with some young players and cheap labor veteran guys like Winchester was last year and Goc who for the money did a more than decent job. This just seems all backwards with all this money going to guys who are the checkers and plumbers and the younger cheaper guys being the guys counted on to make or break the season. This is all seems like a recipe for another top 10 pick in next years draft and an expensive team at that.

You're forgetting the part where our drafted talent steps up and brings us to the playoffs like they are expected and supposed to do. Other teams' young players do it, ours can too and that is what it will take. Until then, overpaying for middle road players will continue.

 

[Dread Clawz]

You're forgetting the part where our drafted talent steps up and brings us to the playoffs like they are expected and supposed to do. Other teams' young players do it, ours can too and that is what it will take. Until then, overpaying for middle road players will continue.

Exactly. Our top 6 guys are young, cheap guys because marquee free agents won't come here until we start to win. Our young guys are the guys that are expected to be the cornerstones of this team for the next decade. They are the ones who have to do it and lead us. A lot of them are high draft picks. Hopefully they won't be "cheap" for long and they all start to break out.

 

[EnforceTheLaus]

Per cap geek:
http://www.capgeek.com/player/1587

4.0,4.5,4.5 is the breakdown.

 

[Big Bjugs]

I, like most, won't be sold on this contract until he earns it. Which it's looking like he won't. I hope he proves us wrong but at the same time, trade him.

 

[FrolikFan67]

4.33 isnt an overpayment at all, its exactly where it was projected to be (between 4 and 4.5). soon to be 24yr old puck moving top-4 D with 5 seasons under his belt. i think theres a good chance he's paired on the top line with campbell, if so i think that will realllllly help him playing with a tremendous puck moving D in campbell, and also playing on what we hope is a much better all around team will also help. he won't be inclined to make the home run pass/play, he'll probably have a much better line mate, and he's older. if he stays healthy i really expect him to have a great season. the years he's been here we've been horrendous besides for the '12 season (had his best season then because we actually had a good team for once, put up 28pts in only 58 games, he was hurt then and took a while to get back to speed, he started off incredible that year, he would've had an amazing year if he stayed healthy and that injury didn't set him back). he just came off a season where he has his career high in goals and played well down the stretch. 4.33 is more than reasonable and 3yrs is perfect, not too long like 5 or even 4, and not too short being 1 or 2, we get him for 3yrs at a reasonable contract and hopefully these are the 3yrs he really blossoms.