Montreal Canadiens: Analyzing the Brett Kulak extension
The Montreal Canadiens have taken care of another RFA, as they’ve signed defenseman Brett Kulak for three years. Let’s take a look at the deal.
Last October, the Montreal Canadiens made what appeared to be a minor deal, acquiring Brett Kulak from the Calgary Flames for depth defenseman Matt Taormina and prospect Rinat Valiev. This trade wound up being a great one for the Habs, as he put up 17 points in 57 games as their second-pairing defenseman.
On Saturday, the 25-year-old defenseman got a three-year extension from the Canadiens. His deal is worth $1.85 million annually. Kulak was a restricted free agent. Here’s a look at what his salary will be in each of the next three seasons.
- 2019-20: $1,950,000
- 2020-21: $1,400,000
- 2021-22: $2,200,000
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This is a very good deal for the Canadiens. Kulak was their third-most used defenseman at even strength per game. His 17:21 of ice time at even strength per game trailed only Shea Weber and Jeff Petry.
Signing Kulak ensures the Canadiens will once again a trustworthy core of top four defensemen. He’s a very solid transitional defenseman, as he’s terrific at zone exits. His zone entries could be better, but he’s far from a liability there.
Kulak also excels at holding his own blueline, as he breaks up a lot of potential zone entries. Most of what he does best can’t be viewed on a scoresheet, but he does quite a few things well. Kulak is an above-average offensive player and as the Canadiens get more skill, he should see an increase in points.
He doesn’t play much on special teams, but the fact that the Habs trusted him so much at even strength tells you how valuable he is there. Kulak has done fine on the penalty kill when given time there. And given his passing abilities, he might be a solid second-unit power-play quarterback.
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$1.85 million for a second-pairing defenseman is a nice deal. Kulak is likely as good right now as he’ll ever be, but his skill set suggests he could be a late bloomer. He never really got a chance with the Flames, but the Canadiens saw what he could be.