Kulak and Barrie formed a solid third pairing for the Edmonton Oilers in the last playoffs, so we know these two can play together. Upset the top four and you run the risk of playing an outsider with Barrie that might not work as well together.
Since Bouchard struggled to start the season, Barrie has re-taken his spot on the second pairing, while Kulak was signed for more money and term to take over for the retired Duncan Keith. We’ll dwell on his performance later, but there’s every chance these two could re-unite and be the same solid pairing, playing a bigger role and more minutes this time around.
This makes bringing an outsider into Kulak’s spot a riskier proposition for Holland.