Speculation: Will Nikolai Kulemin re-sign in Toronto?

[The Promised Land]

If you check out he and his wife's Instagram they are either clearly are a happy family that love T.O. (always out and about in the city) or they're the best actors in the world.

Obviously that's only one factor...but with two young kids it may be a bigger one than one may think. I really think and hope that if he's still with the team at the end of the season that both sides will be able to work something out.

 

[SeenSchenn2]

It's consequential we get him re-signed.

I'd give 5 years. It's nice to have a forward play defense.

 

[yakfish]

I hope he get resigned. Solid defensive forward. give him 3 years at 3 million

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Hope not it is time to move on

 

[The_Chosen_One]

We could sign him for $4 million per. That's a decent contract for a top nine forward. Move out Franson. That contract will end up looking cheaper when the cap rises.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

We could sign him for $4 million per. That's a decent contract for a top nine forward. Move out Franson. That contract will end up looking cheaper when the cap rises.

Or we could use that money to re sign Bolland or maybe a better winger like moluson or give that money plus a little more to statsny

 

[TheLeastOfTheBunch]

Bolland, Kulemin, McClement, Raymond could become UFAs this offseason.

Keep Bolland, Kulemin, McClement, move Raymond

 

[Trapper]

I think Kuli goes to Pittsburgh with Malkin or Washington with Grabo. Either team could use him and would love him.
Either way he should be dealt so we get an asset in return.
That makes room for Ashton or D'Amigo.

 

[Pyromaniac3]

I would rather sign him than Raymond or Clarkson.

We'll see how good he is when he plays alongside Malkin and Ovechkin at the Olympics.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I think Kuli goes to Pittsburgh with Malkin or Washington with Grabo. Either team could use him and would love him.
Either way he should be dealt so we get an asset in return.
That makes room for Ashton or D'Amigo.

Ashton needs to go too

 

[smitty10]

I hope so. If he can be had around $2.8-3m he's a very good 3rd line player. Bring Komarov back so that he can have another Russian-speaking teammate to keep him happy.

 

[BonMorrison]

Holland - Bolland - Kulemin
Komarov - McClement - D'Amigo

I can live with that bottom six.

 

[The Caveman]

He won't have to decide. I really think he gets moved to a playoff team by the deadline. Love the guy, but if it comes down to signing Bolland or him, I'll take Bolland.

 

[Revolt]

I really hope we hang on to him. I've been a Kulemin fan since he was a rookie here.

Would be sad to see him go and his value to the team goes beyond the scoresheet.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

He won't have to decide. I really think he gets moved to a playoff team by the deadline. Love the guy, but if it comes down to signing Bolland or him, I'll take Bolland.

You don't think we will be a playoff team?

 

[seanlinden]

Doubt it.

I'm guessing Pittsburgh with Malkin, or Washington to be with Grabo and Ovie.

This...

While Kulemin has been nothing but a reliable soldier in his reduced role, and has been quite good in it, he's going to look for a fresh start where he sees the upside of being a top 6 forward.

Plus, he'll be able to go somewhere on a 1-year deal and get $2.5 - $3m. The Leafs are probably better served spending a little less on a 3rd line winger, or a little more on a guy who they know will be a top 6 winger.

 

[The_Chosen_One]

Or we could use that money to re sign Bolland or maybe a better winger like moluson or give that money plus a little more to statsny

I don't want Stastny. He is really overrated around here. Kulemin, on the other hand, is a hell lot more versatile. Hell, I'd rather trade Lupul, and retain Kulemin.

JVR - Bozak - Kessel ( Top line)
Bolland - Holland - Clarkson ( Shut down line)
LW- Kadri - Kulemin ( Depth scoring)
D'Amigo - McClement - Ashton ( Energy/ PK)
Orr

What Kadri requires is a strong puck possession forward. Not necessarily a power forward, but someone that is difficult to strip the puck off of. Someone like Matt Moulson or even going after Jagr ( if we produce well in the playoffs) may be a good idea.

 

[SeenSchenn2]

He won't have to decide. I really think he gets moved to a playoff team by the deadline. Love the guy, but if it comes down to signing Bolland or him, I'll take Bolland.

Shouldn't have to. ~21 million (probably more - just going off capgeek projection) to sign Bolland, Gardiner, Kulemin, McClemment, Holland, most notably.

There are others but who knows what happens. It's important we keep Bolland and Kulemin moving forward. We don't have a two-way forward in the system that plays to Kulemin's caliber.

 

[htpwn]

I don't see why not.

It may seem like just yesterday when he scored his first NHL goal against the Red Wings, but by the end of the season, he'll have played nearly 400 games in a Maple Leafs uniform. There's a clearly a level of comfort he has with this franchise and with the City.

I don't think its between Pittsburgh versus Toronto. If the offers are remotely similar, I'd expect Kulemin to stay in Toronto. Maybe he can even convince Malkin to join him, instead of the other way around.

The KHL will be the wildcard. A lot of people will dismiss the KHL, overlooking their obvious business strategy: They aren't interested in getting Canadians or Americans or even Swedes there from the NHL, they're interested in Russians and those from the former Soviet bloc. It is a lot easier to get someone who speaks the language and is familiar with the culture, especially if you overpay, then it is to convince others. And there's enough players of that background where you can have a very competitive league, arguably the second best in the world, and getting better.

For that reason, I think there is some reason to worry, though no reason to look at it as a foregone conclusion. Kulemin regularly plays for the Russian National Team, making him an attractive target for KHL teams. He also produced near a point-per-game in his lockout stint, meaning they could pay more because they're paying for an offensive player and we'd be paying for a defensive one. In the end, its all up to Kulemin. We can only offer him $3-3.5 million, unless his production picks up again. He could probably get close to $5 million in the KHL.

 

[stakesishigh]

Sure as hell hope he does.

 

[hockeystick89]

I hope so. I remember shortly before I joined HF, this guy was rated as our top prospect. Those were pretty dark times for Leafs' prospects, but this guy was making a lot of noise over in the former RSL, winning the league MVP in 2007. I remember when people were excited about this guy, and it's nice to see one of our prospects develop long-term into a quality NHL player. I think that if given top 6 and PP time, the guy could produce much better. At the same time though, I think it is a testament to how much Carlyle respects what he can bring by using him consistently in a shutdown role, as well as having himplay big minutes on the PK.

TBH I think he deserves Raymond's spot in the lineup, but I think our team is more balanced with each player playing where they are now.

 

[ULF_55]

Put him with someone who can pass the puck.

That isn't McClement.

Give him close to the Clarkson contract and call it ...

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

I hope we do. Kulemin is one of the few good defensive forwards we have. And while his offence has dried up, he's an excellent 3rd liner.Does he want to come back is the million dollar question. If yes, then get him signed quickly Nonis.

 

[Mansfield]

i hope so. really underrated player

 

[seanlinden]

Shouldn't have to. ~21 million (probably more - just going off capgeek projection) to sign Bolland, Gardiner, Kulemin, McClemment, Holland, most notably.

There are others but who knows what happens. It's important we keep Bolland and Kulemin moving forward. We don't have a two-way forward in the system that plays to Kulemin's caliber.

Here's the problem:

One would have to assume that JvR-Bozak-Kessel will be our top line next year. There's absolutely zero reason to consider breaking them up.

Lupul-Kadri-Clarkson have not made for an effective 2nd line by any stretch of the imagination. Kulemin hasn't done much in that role either, so the Leafs are either looking at upgrading Kadri, or bringing in another winger to play with Kadri/Lupul, moving Clarkson to the 3rd.

On the 3rd, Dave Bolland is likely a keeper, but he's going to cost $3m+. If we're also upgrading our top 6, we don't really have the ability to pay Bolland $3m+ and Kulemin $2.5-$3m. We need to get cheap players into our top 9 somehow.

Of course, one could argue that Kulemin isn't worth $2.5m based on his production.... but from a fiduciary perspective, he's way better off taking a $2.5m one year deal with another team to try and regain his offensive touch, then he is signing a $2m multi-year deal in what should be the prime of his career.