[News] With the 105th pick Flames select D Brett Kulak

[sureLoss]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/draftprospect...htm?dpid=10333

From the Vancouver Giants

https://twitter.com/KULAK03

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

YES! I was really really hoping they took him. Solid defenseman, really driven player. Kind of a steal in the 4th round. He was expected to be a 3rd round pick.

[Mitch]

Considered a pure skater, Kulak impressed the Giants enough that they made him a ninth round bantam draft pick. The concern for many teams at the time was the fact Kulak checked in at 5'6 and 145 pounds. But fast forward three years and Kulak has inched his way beyond the six-foot mark. Adding on 30 pounds has also been valuable.

Initially Kulak looked to be a stay-at-homer, but his skating prowess has enabled the Giants coaching staff to cut him loose to bring offensive production to the mix. Kulak has spent time on the power play, and while his nine goals and 15 assists are not eye-popping stats, he played in all 72 regular season games and posted a plus-29 rating.

Down the stretch, Kulak was frequently matched against top opponents along with teammates David Musil (EDM), and veterans Neil Manning or Wes Vannieuwenhuizen. Kulak played in the 2012 Top Prospects Game in Kelowna this season

I'm happy with this pick

[MrMastodonFarm]

http://thehockeywriters.com/brett-ku...spect-profile/

Kulak is a very underrated blueliner who is simply silky smooth. He quietly goes about his business on the ice in a proficient manner. I have been extremely impressed for quite some time and feel he possesses ridiculous upside.

Some have criticized a lack of physicality in Kulak’s game. While this may come with time, he is still an effective defender utilizing his smarts and aptitude to process the game at a high level.

He has come a long way in a short amount of time with more growing to do. Kulak has also grown immensely in stature since being taken in the 9th round of the WHL bantam draft in 2009 when he was just 5’6” and 145 lbs.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Lets see how this pans out. Or later picks have been pretty impressive over the past few years.

[sureLoss]

http://thehockeywriters.com/brett-ku...spect-profile/

Brett Kulak THW Close-Up:
Date of birth: 01/06/1994
Place of birth: Stony Plain, AB, CAN
Ht: 6’1″ Wt: 175
Shoots: Left
Position: Defence
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2012 1st year eligible

The first thing you may notice about Brett Kulak while watching him man the blueline for the Vancouver Giants is that unless you were specifically paying him attention, he likely would likely be unnoticeable. In Kulak’s case, and in the case of efficient defensemen in general, this is often a very desirable trait.


Looking for an NHL comparable than look no further than Duncan Keith, who Kulak himself patterns his game after. Kulak is a smooth, effortless skater with tremendous puck poise and always seems to make the simplest and often correct decision. It may take some time, but he also has untapped offensive upside as well given his hockey IQ and the rapid development track he is on. At this point in time, Keith is in another stratosphere in terms of offensive ability, but given time Kulak has the potential to be on the same echelon. Kulak currently keeps his game simply rather than flashy.


Brett had a solid year on the stats sheet. He led all Vancouver Giants in his WHL rookie season with 9 goals. He finished third in scoring amongst Giants blueliners with 24 points in 72 games. He added 4 assists in 6 playoff contests.


In isolation, the plus/minus stat is not very useful. However, as a comparator in can be a telling stat.
Kulak led the Giants with a plus-29 rating. Forwards Cain Franson and Brendan Gallagher had a plus-26 and plus-19 rating respectively, finishing closest to Kulak. The next closest blueliner had a plus-15 ranking. In fact, about three-quarters of the roster finished below plus 10. This helps exemplify the efficiency with which Kulak plays the game.

[DropIt]

Kulak had an impressive rookie season in the WHL where he came out of nowhere to become one of the Vancouver Giants most reliable defenseman. He plays a safe and quiet game that has translated to some impressive numbers. In addition to putting up 24 points, he also registered a plus-29 rating. Kulak will have to build more strength and become a more physical defender. While he is a good stick checker, he doesn’t take the body nearly enough. His smarts and sound positional play make him a safe bet to get drafted

next ones

[ClubFlames]

Very happy with this pick.

[kyuss275]

Good pick up for a 4th rounder

[Calgary Highlander]

Awesome. I was hoping we'd draft a great skater with some smarts and just see how he develops.

Kind of like T.J. Brodie.

[Itse]

Sounds good for a fourth rounder.

[Alberta_Beef]

I can get on board with this

[Canada 02]

he's on the FAN now

[ricardodw]

Great skater who doesn't play physical and only puts up 24 points/yr (with PP time) playing the tough minutes. Sounds like Bouwmeester clone or replacement.

Kulak already has 6 playoff games.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

http://thehockeywriters.com/brett-ku...spect-profile/

Looking for an NHL comparable than look no further than Duncan Keith, who Kulak himself patterns his game after

Is there any prospect anywhere that patterns his game after Jay Bouwmeester??

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Is there any prospect anywhere that patterns his game after Jay Bouwmeester??

What does Jay Bouwmeester have to do with anything?

Stop bitching.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Mitch

What does Jay Bouwmeester have to do with anything?

Stop bitching.

but his skating prowess has enabled the Giants coaching staff to cut him loose to bring offensive production to the mix. Kulak has spent time on the power play, and while his nine goals and 15 assists are not eye-popping stats, he played in all 72 regular season games

Down the stretch, Kulak was frequently matched against top opponents

Some have criticized a lack of physicality in Kulak’s game. While this may come with time, he is still an effective defender

Never misses a game.

great skater

poor offensive production but looks good enough to get PP time

Lack of physicality

effective defender

And this doesn't exactly describe Bouwmeester??

[GGG]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Never misses a game.

great skater

poor offensive production but looks good enough to get PP time

Lack of physicality

effective defender

And this doesn't exactly describe Bouwmeester??

If we coud draft bouwmeester in the fourth round of every draft i would do it every year. I mean at worst he is a number 3 defensemen who is 2.5 million overpaid. So if thats who he turned out to be it is a fantastic steal in the fourth round.

[calumniate]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Is there any prospect anywhere that patterns his game after Jay Bouwmeester??

Haha! Great question.. unfortunately I think he has to make the playoffs for that to happen

[Canada 02]

Weisbrod: "liked both Kulak and Culkin. High IQ, puck movers. Wanted both in the 4th, got lucky with Culkin still there in the 5th