Dean Kukan

November 2019 – The 26-year-old  has begun the 2019 campaign with the big club. However, he has found himself on the outside looking in for much of it and has only suited up for six games. Through those games, Kukan has registered six hits, four blocks, and one assist. The Swiss d-man provides the organization with great depth but aside from a few peripherals, do not look for any fantasy value here. Dave Hall

May 2019 – Kukan took a huge leap in his development last season. He played in a career high 25 games for Columbus and also appeared in all 10 playoff games. The Swiss defender is likely to solidify a spot on the Blue Jackets’ bottom pairing this fall. With the lack of ice-time expected in that role, his fantasy upside is very limited. Frank Pellegrini

December 2018 – Kukan has been recalled by the Blue Jackets, and has posted two points in five AHL games. He has skated in six NHL games this season but has not been in the lineup since early November. It remains to be seen when or if he will get into the lineup, but the opportunity is there to do so. If he does, he will surely see bottom-six minutes. Frank Pellegrini

January 2018 – Serving recently as Columbus’ seventh defenseman and a regular healthy scratch, Kukan was named to the AHL All Star squad after registering a goal and eleven assists in 27 contests with their affilate Cleveland Monsters. Kevin Wickersham 

December 2017 – Kukan continues to move the puck smartly and efficiently with the AHL Monsters, having set up teammates with eight assists (seven on the man advantage to lead the club) thus far in 2017-18. He’s a vital component to their power play and has served on Cleveland’s top pairing more frequently as the campaign progresses. While it hasn’t yielded a goal yet, Kukan continues to be a threat to put the puck in the net with his 34 shots on goal leading the squad’s blueliners. Kevin WIckersham

October 2017 – Despite effective preseason play on the man advantage and driving possession, Kukan is below several other defenseman on the Columbus org chart and was reassigned to AHL Cleveland. Along with Nutivaara he’s a prime candidate to fill a Blue Jacket blue line need should one arise. Kevin Wickersham

July 2017 – Kukan is a large-framed blueliner that moves the puck well and competes hard in all zones. He’s proven fundamentally sound and smart, rarely making mistakes, and is a reasonably mobile, smooth skater. Though originally profiled with little offensive upside, the 24-year-old led 2016-17 AHL Cleveland rearguards with 29 points, and also in assists with 25. In all he’s totaled seven goals and 35 assists in 105 AHL career contests, and been held scoreless with an impressive plus-nine in eight NHL contests, all with Columbus during their difficult 2015-16 campaign. While he’s been on the cusp of landing a regular Blue Jacket role for the last two years, he ultimately seems penned for emergency seventh defender duties in occasional big league cups of coffee. His resume includes 125 Swedish Hockey League games, and tournament play with Team Switzerland, including eight contests in the 2017 IIHP World Championships, registering an assist and a plus-one. Kevin Wickersham