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Blue-liner eager to prove himself after rough, injury-plagued season in Buffalo
Before pulling the trigger on Dmitry Kulikov, a player the Winnipeg Jets felt could shore up the left side on defence, head coach Paul Maurice spent hours upon hours poring over film to be sure they were making the right decision.
“I watched every shift he took last year and I saw an injured player,” Maurice recalled after his team’s morning skate on Friday, ahead of a game against the visiting New York Islanders. “And then even at times when he got healthy, the effect of that injury changes the way you play defence.