Luke Kunin Garnering Interest From Around The League

A new contract could be closing in soon for centerman Luke Kunin, who has garnered interest from multiple teams since hitting the open market on July 1st, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Kunin kicked off last season with the San Jose Sharks, and was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2025 second-round pick at the Trade Deadline.

Kunin has carved out a role as a utility third-liner over the course of his eight-year pro career that carried into his year with both San Jose and Columbus this season. He started the year with 11 goals, 18 points, and a minus-24 through 63 games as the Sharks’ third-line center. The Blue Jackets opted to move him to fourth-right wing, and he’d finish the year with no scoring and a minus-four through 12 games in Columbus.

Through a bleak stat line, Kunin did manage the second-most hits of his career (187) this season. He ranked second on the Sharks in hits (162) prior to his move, and then posted the second-highest hits-per-60 minutes of ice time (10.19) in Columbus behind only Mathieu Olivier (15.48). He also recorded a career-high 77 blocked shots this season. That physical presence has become the defining piece of Kunin’s pro style, and would surely be what teams are looking to buy on the open market.

Kunin was once the 15th-overall pick in the draft, hearing his name called in 2016 by the Minnesota Wild after a strong year with the US U18 National Team Development Program. Kunin’s sharp-edged physicality defined his game even as a teenager, though he earned lofty praise after scoring 70 points in 69 games over two years at the University of Wisconsin. He turned pro once his sophomore year came to a close, and managed to score eight points in his first 12 AHL games. He followed that with 19 points in 36 games through the first-half of the 2017-18 season – enough to earn a call-up to the Minnesota Wild mid-season.

Kunin has since appeared in 434 games across eight seasons in the NHL. He’s recorded 73 goals, 142 points, and a minus-97 across his full career – spanning three years with the Minnesota Wild and Sharks, two years with the Nashville Predators, and one year in Columbus. He is a cost-effective bruiser available on the open market, though likely won’t bring more than a third-line role to his next landing spot.