Career
He was drafted by the Panthers in the first round, 14th overall, at the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft. Junior
Kulikov began his career in his homeland Russia with Lokomotiv-2 Yaroslavl in the Pervaya Liga, and left his club in November 2008 to sign for the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in North America. Professional
After his rookie year with the Voltigeurs, Kulikov was drafted by the Florida Panthers 14th overall in the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft, and was later signed to a professional contract the club on 29 September 2009.
Despite his age, Kulikov managed to play in 68 games with Florida in his rookie season, 2009-2010, displaying high levels of skill and confidence.
Current Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon has expressed that the Panthers organization has high expectations of Kulikov in the future, and he is considered the first step in the rebuilding process of the franchise, along with prospects Jacob Markström (since traded to the Vancouver Canucks), Erik Gudbranson and Jonathan Huberdeau. On 18 July 2014, Kulikov signed a three-year, $13 million contract extension with the Panthers, worth $4.3 million annually.
Kulikov represented Russia in two Under-18 World Cups: 2007 in Finland and 2008 in Russia.