Blue Jackets Sign Zac Dalpe, Dean Kukan To Contract Extensions

The Columbus Blue Jackets have made a few player moves today, one regarding a prospect and another regarding a diamond in the rough.

Defenseman Dean Kukan has been signed to a new contract with the Blue Jackets. The defensive prospect has played with the Monsters for two seasons and has performed well in his tenure, scoring seven goals and thirty-five assists in 105 AHL games with Cleveland. Kukan, 23, should be ready for a promotion to the NHL soon, as he has signed a two-way contract for next year.

The diamond in the rough mentioned above is forward Zac Dalpe, who joined the Monsters during the middle of the season. Dalpe scored eight goals and six assists in twenty games for the Monsters, as he was a welcomed jolt of excitement and energy for Cleveland’s front line with T.J. Tynan and Ryan Craig. Dalpe was essentially a journeyman before reaching Cleveland, so a two-way, two-year contract with Columbus is exciting. With Craig retiring and other unknown components, Dalpe’s return is good news for veteran leadership as well as performance on the ice.