Panthers’ Dmitry Kulikov leaves game with upper-body injury

Kulikov has racked up four goals and nine assists for 13 points in 67 games this season. Kulikov recently appeared in his 1,000th NHL game back in January.

Following last season’s Stanley Cup championship, Florida extended Kulikov to a four-year, $1.15 million AAV contract through the 2027-28 season. Kulikov played in 76 games during the regular season, posting a goal and 19 assists, registering a plus/minus of +15. The Lipetsk, Russia native played in all 24 playoff games, putting up one assist, and a -1 rating.

The Panthers are the seventh team Kulikov has been with over the last five seasons and the eighth NHL team in his 15-year career. After playing seven seasons with Florida, the team that took him 14th overall in the 2009 NHL Draft, Kulikov spent the 2016-17 season with the Buffalo Sabres, before signing with the Winnipeg Jets the following year. He played for the Jets for three seasons, before signing with the New Jersey Devils in 2020. Following his tenure in New Jersey, Kulikov was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in April 2021 and signed by the Minnesota Wild later that offseason. Kulikov was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in the summer of 2022, before being moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins prior to the 2022-23 deadline.

In 1,015 career games, Kulikov has tallied 50 goals and 197 assists, scoring 247 points, spanning over 16 NHL seasons.