Team:
Patrick Smith

Fantasy Summary

A well-rounded, hard-working “tweener” who might serve a low key role on an NHL third-pairing if he gets another chance to stick.


Observations

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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

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 3.5
NHL Certainty 8.0
Country SUI
Position D
Roster Type Minors
Shoot/Glove Left
Date of Birth July 8, 1993
Height 6‘2”
Weight 187 lbs
Drafted No

Stats

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2004-2005 ZSC LionsQC Int PW- - -- -|        
 2005-2006 ZSC LionsQC Int PW- - -- -|        
 2006-2007 ZSC U15U15-Elit26 9 514 14|        
  ZSC U17U17-Elit1 0 00 0|        
  ZSC II U17U17-A17 5 611 6|        
  GC/Küsnacht U17U17-Top2 0 00 0|        
 2007-2008 ZSC U15U15-Elit24 9 918 2|        
  ZSC U17U17-Elit2 0 00 2|Playoffs12 1 01
  ZSC II U15U15-Top1 3 47 0|        
  ZSC II U17U17-Top16 4 913 4|        
 2008-2009 ZSC U17U17-Elit27 1 23 4|Playoffs10 0 55
  GC/Küsnacht U20U20-Elit8 0 11 0|Playoffs5 0 00
  Switzerland U16 (all)International-Jr12 1 23 2|        
  Switzerland U17 (all)International-Jr3 0 00 0|        
 2009-2010 GC/Küsnacht U20U20-Elit13 1 56 2|Playoffs9 0 44
  GC/KüsnachtSL29 0 66 14|        
  Switzerland U18WJC-186 0 33 0|        
  Switzerland U18 (all)International-Jr25 1 910 2|        
 2010-2011 GC/Küsnacht U20U20-Elit2 0 11 0|Playoffs10 0 00
  GC/KüsnachtSL37 1 23 4|        
  ZSCNL2 0 00 0|        
  Switzerland U18WJC-186 0 22 0|        
  Switzerland U18 (all)International-Jr22 4 59 2|        
  Switzerland U19WJAC-194 0 11 2|        
  Switzerland U20 (all)International-Jr4 0 11 2|        
 2011-2012 Luleå HF J20J20 Nationell42 5 1621 8|Playoffs3 0 22
  Luleå HFSHL3 0 00 0|        
  Switzerland U19 (all)International-Jr4 1 12 0|        
  Switzerland U20WJC-206 1 12 0|        
  Switzerland U20 (all)International-Jr14 1 45 2|        
  Switzerland (all)International4 0 00 0|        
 2012-2013 Luleå HF J20J20 Nationell11 2 13 2|        
  Luleå HFET1 0 00 0|        
  Luleå HFSHL16 1 34 0|Playoffs15 0 11
  Asplöven HCHockeyAllsvenskan2 0 00 4|        
  Tingsryds AIFHockeyAllsvenskan16 0 22 2|        
  Switzerland U19WJAC-195 1 01 8|        
  Switzerland U20WJC-206 0 11 2|        
  Switzerland U20 (all)International-Jr14 1 45 14|        
  Switzerland (all)International2 0 00 0|        
 2013-2014 Luleå HFET8 1 12 2|Playoffs2 0 00
  Luleå HFSHL54 4 812 12|Playoffs6 1 12
  Switzerland Deutschland Cup3 0 00 0|        
  SwitzerlandWC7 1 01 2|        
  Switzerland (all)International18 1 12 6|        
 2014-2015 Luleå HFSHL52 3 1013 14|Playoffs9 0 22
  Luleå HFChampions HL13 1 23 10|        
  SwitzerlandWC3 0 00 0|        
  Switzerland (all)International13 0 22 4|        
 2015-2016 Columbus Blue JacketsNHL8 0 00 0|        
  Cleveland MonstersAHL33 3 1013 8|Playoffs17 1 45
 2016-2017 Cleveland MonstersAHL72 4 2529 43|        
  SwitzerlandWC8 0 11 2|        
  Switzerland (all)International11 0 11 2|        
 2017-2018 Columbus Blue JacketsNHL11 0 44 2|        
  Cleveland MonstersAHL32 1 1415 20|        
  SwitzerlandWC10 1 23 0|        
  Switzerland (all)International10 1 23 0|        
 2018-2019 Columbus Blue JacketsNHL25 0 55 6|Playoffs10 1 01
  Cleveland MonstersAHL5 1 12 0|        
 2019-2020 Columbus Blue JacketsNHL33 1 45 12|Playoffs9 0 11
 2020-2021 Columbus Blue JacketsNHL35 1 45 10|        
 2021-2022 Columbus Blue JacketsNHL41 3 811 16|        
  Switzerland EHT2 0 00 0|        
  SwitzerlandWC8 2 46 0|        
  Switzerland (all)International10 2 46 0|        
 2022-2023 ZSCNL49 7 2431 8|Playoffs9 2 35
  ZSCChampions HL6 1 23 25|        
  Switzerland EHT7 1 01 0|        
  SwitzerlandWC7 0 44 4|        
  Switzerland (all)International14 1 45 4|        
 2023-2024 ZSCNL40 3 2225 8|Playoffs4 1 34
  Switzerland (all)International5 0 22 2|        
  Switzerland EHT5 0 22 2|        

Highlights