As the offseason rolls on, so do the Edmonton Oilers’ player grades. The last report card graded Darnell Nurse, and now we move on to another defenceman, Brett Kulak. Kulak is a steady and consistent third-pairing blue liner who can move into the top four when needed, like we saw throughout the playoffs. He averaged 20:32 during the regular season, good for seventh on the team. However, he averaged 23:25 in the playoffs, which was the third most behind Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid.
The 31-year-old scored a career-high seven goals last season and recorded 25 points, but he was a minus-7. He also added one goal and five points in the postseason, and was a plus-9. He’s not an offensive threat, but that’s not his job. His role is to provide quality minutes on the back end, kill penalties, block shots, and play steady defensively. The veteran had 118 blocked shots last season, second on the team behind Darnell Nurse, while adding another 43 blocked shots in the playoffs. He plays his role well and is a valuable member of the defence core.
Availability is the best ability, and Kulak has always been available for the Oilers. He hasn’t missed a game since Edmonton acquired him ahead of the 2022 Trade Deadline from the Montreal Canadiens. He has played in all 82 regular-season games the last three seasons, and has appeared in 339-consecutive games with the Oilers, including the playoffs. It’s safe to say that trade has worked out.
His durability makes him a versatile and valuable asset. He’s dependable, and with a $2.75 million cap hit, he’s worth keeping around because the Oilers know what they are getting at a reasonable salary. The Stony Plain, Alberta native is “Mr. Reliable” and the Iron Man of this group. Hopefully he remains healthy because the Oilers need his consistency in the lineup.
From an offensive perspective, his 25-point campaign is his career high. While plus/minus isn’t the most effective way to judge a defenceman, his minus-7 was the worst mark of his career. He was a minus-10 in Montreal during 2021-22 before the trade, but was a plus-6 with Edmonton the rest of that season. He did his job as a shutdown, third-pairing defenceman, while contributing on the penalty kill and logging important minutes. Therefore, he gets a solid B- for his performance in the regular season.
Kulak also had a solid postseason. He saw his ice time increase and was tasked with difficult matchups. His spike in minutes was crucial to the Oilers’ success as he was trusted to play with everybody and be a calming presence. With Mattias Ekholm’s absence, he played a lot with Bouchard, but played the most minutes alongside Nurse with 183:16, while playing 169:32 with Bouchard. He also had a three-game point streak during Games 2-4 against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final. The 6-foot-2, 192-pounder contributed in different ways during their playoff run, so he also gets a B- for his playoff performance.
Therefore, a B- is deserved for his overall season because he’s the epitome of consistency. He’s a two-way, shutdown defenceman who can contribute offensively on occasion. He knows his role and plays it well. Every team needs a player like him, and one can expect similar results for the 2025-26 season.
What would you grade Kulak for his performance last season? Keep following The Hockey Writers as we continue the Oilers’ player report cards throughout the offseason.
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