Defenceman Brett Kulak comments on a possible return to Montreal
Despite losing in the conference finals to the Colorado Avalanche, blueliner Brett Kulak proved himself to be a very valuable depth piece for the Edmonton Oilers during their Stanley Cup Playoffs run. And, while getting a chance to play for his hometown team was a dream come true, Kulak said don't be surprised to see him back in Montreal once free agency hits.
"There is definitely a chance that I will be seen again in Montreal," said the 28-year-old during an interview with Journal de Montreal. "I will definitely think about it. I loved my time with the Montreal Canadiens. From day one, I was treated with class. I felt really special to be part of this organization."
Kulak also said he likes what's happening with the Habs right now.
"This organization is definitely heading in the right direction," he said. "I had time to meet the new management (before the trade). Marty (St-Louis), Kent (Hughes), Jeff (Gorton) are very savvy hockey men. They have already brought big changes to the team. I think they will do a great job."
Kulak is at the end of a contract that carried a $1.85 million cap hit per season. Chances are he'll be getting a nice raise when free agency hits. The former fourth-round pick of the Calgary Flames has shown he can be an excellent asset on the penalty kill and can carry a top-four role on a team. Oilers GM Ken Holland said Wednesday he'd like to re-sign Kulak if possible. However, Holland has several other contracts to worry about, and not a lot of wiggle room within the cap system.
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Kyle Connor | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Alex Tuch | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Owen Power | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Michael Bunting | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Drew Helleson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jirí Kulich | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Isac Lundestrom | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Vladislav Namestnikov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nino Niederreiter | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Gabriel Vilardi | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jason Zucker | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Leo Carlsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ross Johnston | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Evgeni Malkin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Morrissey | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Cole Perfetti | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Bryan Rust | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mark Scheifele | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Trevor Zegras | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 20 | 17 | 3 | - | 34 | |
Wild | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 | |
Hurricanes | 19 | 14 | 5 | - | 28 | |
Devils | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 27 | |
Golden Knights | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
Flames | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 25 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||