28. Filip Kuba
Stats: 261GP, 14G, 116P
Height/Weight: 6foot4, 226lbs
Acquired: Trade with Tampa Bay (for Andrej Meszaros)
Following Andrej Meszaros, the player he was traded for is ranked 28th overall.
Filip Kuba acted as Erik Karlsson’s defensive partner in his early years and preceded his current partner, Marc Methot. Like Methot, Kuba brought stability to Karlsson’s game in a year where Karlsson won the Norris Trophy.
The thing Kuba was able to mix in that is not necessarily a part of Marc Methot’s game is offence. Kuba had 40 and 32 point seasons where he was able to play on the Senators powerplay. While Methot rarely sees PP time, Kuba was a good point man as he mixed size and offensive ability on the blue-line.
Kuba’s 261 games in Ottawa came to an end when he signed a 2-year, 8 million dollar deal. A buyout was placed on Kuba’s contract following his first year in Florida as he had under-performed. His best years came in Ottawa as he would be a steady defender during Erik Karlsson’s young years, earning him a fairly high spot on this list.
Next: A Captain, NHL Leading Scorer