Nyora kuenderera mberi kweiyi ndima - Musi wa25 Chikumi 2016, Kulikov akatengeswa kuBuffalo Sabres, pamwe ne33rd sarudzo yakazara mu2016 NHL Draft
mukutsinhana nemudziviriri Mark Pysyk uye anosarudza 38 uye 89 mu 2016 draft. Mumwaka wa2016/17, nguva yaKulikov neSabres yakanyanya kukanganiswa nekukuvara. Mugore rokupedzisira rechibvumirano chake, akaonekwa mumitambo 47 kuti abudise basa rakaderera 2 zvinangwa uye 5 mapoinzi.