Dean Kukan may not be more than a bottom pair defenseman for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but there is plenty of evidence that he should have been a mainstay in the lineup for most of the season. For a team that struggled to move the puck and saw a lot of goals against, it doesn’t make sense that Kukan was often a healthy scratch.
Among all Columbus defensemen (playing 10 games or more) at 5v5, Kukan was 4th in CF% and GF% - he was 2nd in xGF% and HDCF%. However, despite those possession numbers, Kukan ranked last in TOI per game.