Junior Kulikov began his career in his homeland
Russia with
Lokomotiv-2 Yaroslavl in the
Pervaya Liga, and left his club in November 2008 to sign for the
Drummondville Voltigeurs of the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in North America. In his lone season with Drummondville, Kulikov led all QMJHL defencemen with 62 points in 57 games, and took home a slew of post-season awards, including the
Emile Bouchard Trophy as the QMJHL Defenceman of the Year, the
Raymond Lagacé Trophy as the Defensive Rookie of the Year and the
Mike Bossy Trophy as the League's top professional prospect.
Professional After his rookie year with the Voltigeurs, Kulikov was drafted by the
Florida Panthers 14th overall in the
2009 NHL entry draft, and was later signed to a professional contract with the club on 29 September 2009. Despite his age, Kulikov managed to play in 68 games with Florida in his rookie season,
2009–10, displaying high levels of skill and confidence. Panthers General Manager
Dale Tallon expressed that the Panthers organization had high expectations of Kulikov for the future. On 18 July 2014, Kulikov signed a three-year, $13 million contract extension with the Panthers, worth $4.3 million annually. in 2011. On 25 June 2016, Kulikov was traded to the
Buffalo Sabres, along with the 33rd overall pick in the
2016 NHL Draft in exchange for defenceman
Mark Pysyk and picks 38 and 89 in the 2016 draft. In the
2016–17 season, Kulikov's time with the Sabres was largely affected through injury. In the last year of his contract, he appeared in 47 games to produce a career low 2 goals and 5 points. On 1 July 2017, as a free agent from his disappointing tenure with the Sabres, Kulikov was signed to a three-year, $12 million contract with the
Winnipeg Jets. After the completion of his contract with the Jets, Kulikov left as a free agent and on 22 October 2020, he was signed to a one-year, $1.15 million contract with the
New Jersey Devils. In the pandemic delayed
2020–21 season, Kulikov brought a sound defensive game to the Devils, registering 2 assists through 38 regular season games. With the Devils out of playoff contention, Kulikov was dealt at the trade deadline to the
Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a conditional fourth-round selection in
2022 on 12 April 2021. At the conclusion of his contract with the Oilers, Kulikov left as a free agent and on 28 July 2021, was signed to a two-year, $4.5 million contract with the Minnesota Wild. After one season with the Wild, Kulikov was traded to the
Anaheim Ducks for future considerations on 31 August 2022. On 3 March 2023, the Ducks traded Kulikov to the
Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for
Brock McGinn and a third-round pick in the
2024 NHL entry draft. As a free agent from the Penguins, Kulikov opted to return to his original club after seven seasons away, signing a one-year, $1 million contract with the Florida Panthers for the season on 1 July 2023. After winning the
Stanley Cup with the Panthers, Kulikov signed a four-year contract to stay with the Panthers. ==International play==