In his freshman season with the Bulldogs during the 2014–15 season, Kuhlman scored 8 goals and 10 assists for 18 points as the team earned a bid in the NCAA Tournament. Showing early leadership potential, he served as an alternate captain as a sophomore in the 2015–16 season, scoring 12 goals and 20 points in 40 games.
Kuhlman enjoyed a successful junior campaign in the 2016–17 season, scoring 6 goals and 16 assists for a career-high 22 points in 42 games, as the Bulldogs advanced to the Frozen Four before falling to the University of Denver in the NCAA Championship game. Approaching his final collegiate season, Kuhlman was announced as team captain for the 2017–18 season.
Kuhlman continued to contribute in playing as a two-way forward, collecting 13 goals and 20 points in 44 games. He was named the 2018 NCAA Tournament MVP after leading the Bulldogs with a goal and an assist in the team's 2–1 victory over the University of Notre Dame in the NCAA Championship. He completed his collegiate career ranking seventh all-time in the NCAA with 166 consecutive collegiate games played.[1]
Having been unselected in any NHL Entry Draft, and following his championship title with the Bulldogs, Kuhlman signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins on April 11, 2018.[2] He immediately joined Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins, on an amateur try-out contract to conclude the 2017–18 season.
After attending the Bruins' training camp ahead of the 2018–19, Kuhlman was assigned to begin the year with Providence.[3] After a slow offensive start to the season, Kuhlman began contributing as a rookie with Providence, scoring 12 goals and 25 points before earning his first call-up to Boston on February 14, 2019, following an injury to David Pastrňák.[4] He made his NHL debut in a 4–2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center on February 17.[5] He scored his first NHL goal in his second game with the Bruins in a 6–5 overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks on February 19.[6]
In the 2021–22 season, in a limited role having registering just 1 goal and 1 assist through 19 games, Kuhlman was placed on waivers by the Bruins and on January 18, 2022, Kuhlman was claimed by the Seattle Kraken.[7] He continued with the Kraken for the remainder of the season, collecting 2 goals and 8 points through 25 appearances.
Returning to the Kraken for the 2022–23 season, Kuhlman was reduced to a depth forward role, featuring in just 14 games through the opening months of the campaign. Kuhlman was placed on waivers by Seattle and he was claimed the following day by the Winnipeg Jets on December 13, 2022.[8]
Kuhlman was signed as a free agent to a one-year, two-way contract with the New York Islanders for the 2023–24 season on July 5, 2023.[9]
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