Back in black (and gold)
Karson Kuhlman is returning to the Bruins after an extension
The Bruins tied up another loose end on Tuesday, inking utility forward Karson Kuhlman to a twoyear deal.
For Kuhlman, who was a restricted free agent, it is a hybrid deal. The first year is two-way and the second year is a one-way deal, with an average annual NHL value of $725,000.
With that structure (he’s 11 games shy of the 60game threshold to be waiver eligible), and the fact that the B’s are now pretty crowded at right wing, it’s a good bet that Kuhlman could spend much of the year in Providence.
But his goal is to be in Boston. After showing flashes that he could be something more than a grinder in the 2018-19 playoffs, Kuhlman made the B’s roster out of training camp last year. But after a slow start, he suffered a broken leg after getting hit with a shot early in the season and missed significant time.
“My expectations from myself are to go into camp kind of like I did last year,” Kuhlman said on a Zoom call on Tuesday. “Go in there and play my game and be able to help the team right off the bat. Now obviously it’s a great roster, we’re deep. Yeah, my expectations of myself are to be there and to continue to get better and to help the team out as much as possible.”
Last season, Kuhlman was scoreless in eight games before getting in the line of fire of a slapper that broke his fibula.
He missed three months but never really got on track after that.
“Obviously that was a tough start, getting hurt right off the bat like that. Kind of the first time in my career that I’d missed substantial time,” sad Kuhlman. “I’ve got to be happy with getting this done and be thankful for my family and my agent to get this contract done and obviously, the coaching staff and management of Boston to have confidence of me moving forward here. And lastly, with my teammates last year, they helped me so much during the injury and coming back from it. We expect a lot out of each other and we’re going to keep doing that moving forward.”
The Minnesota-Duluth product has good wheels, high hockey IQ and good work ethic. Where he’d like to improve is burying the scoring chances that those other attributes provide him.
“Hardest thing to do in hockey is put the puck in the net,” said Kuhlman, who has 4-7-11 totals in 36 NHL games. “I’ve just been trying to watch the guys that do it consistently. What they do and how they go about their business and how pucks kind of find them in scoring areas and how they capitalize on it. Obviously, taking all that and kind of adding to my own game and putting a lot of time in, that’s kind of one of the things I’ve been focusing on this (offseason) is being better around the net and finishing opportunities when they’re there.”
Kuhlman is back home in Minnesota, training for the 2020-21 season. When that begins is anyone’s guess.
“It’s different,” he said of the current situation. “Especially when our whole lives, our whole hockey careers, you’ve kind of had a date when camp would start, when games would start. It’s a little different, a little up in the air right now, but we’re all in the same position. Everybody is kind of doing the same thing and doing their best to be ready when the time comes and I’m no different. Ramping up, we’ll take a couple weeks, but I think we’re in a good spot right now to do that.”
The B’s still have to sign RFAs Jake DeBrusk and Zach Senyshyn as well as UFA Zdeno Chara.