Former Montreal Canadiens Defenceman Open To Returning This Summer

Former Montreal Canadiens Brett Kulak is set to become a free agent this summer and a return to the Montreal Canadiens is certainly not out of the question.

As reported by Jonathan Bernier from the Journal de Montreal, the Kulak did not rule out the possibility of coming back into the fold once he hits unrestricted free agency on July 13, in fact, he seemed to welcome it.

“Of course, there’s a chance that I could be back in Montreal,” said Kulak to Bernier in the halls of Rogers Place. “I loved my time with the Montreal Canadiens. From Day 1, they treated me with class. It felt special to be part of that organization.”

Brett Kulak was traded to the Edmonton Oilers ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline in return for a conditional 2022 2nd round pick, a 2024 7th round pick and 26-year-old defenceman William Lagesson. At the time of his trade, general manager Kent Hughes was open about how much the team liked Kulak as a player and would have been more than fine keeping him if they hadn’t received an offer they couldn’t refuse.

Kulak had been a serviceable defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens since being acquired from the Calgary Flames back in the Fall of 2018 and went on to become one of the more stabilizing presences on Montreal’s backend. His fluid skating style and underrated physical play made him a unique player for the Canadiens, as they used him up and down the lineup on any given night.

Hughes has spoken at length about his desire to bring in an experienced defenseman in the event that he is able able to move veteran defenceman, Jeff Petry. The experience Kulak has gained over the last couple of years, having played 39 playoff games over the last three years and reaching the Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons. Throw in the fact that Kulak can play both left and right defence in a pinch, and everything is there for him to make his return to the Montreal Canadiens, should the money and term work out.