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With the Olympics nearing its end and team practices resuming as of today, there will be plenty of debate and discussion with respect to trading certain players.
Challenged with an extra trade freeze over the Olympic break, GM’s have no choice but to sit still with any trade proposals which they may have been in discussion about and I’m sure that Dave Nonis had a few conversations which he too had to put on hold.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have displayed certain levels of success this year but also levels of disappointment. With that in mind, there is certainly room for improvement on this roster, but there is also the lack of space for certain players as their contracts expire. Nikolai Kulemin, arguably one of Toronto’s most important UFA’s who remains to be unsigned, has his future with the Leafs being questioned by many fans and pundits alike of late.
Kulemin happens to be the Leafs longest serving player at the moment next to James Reimer, as the two have yet to play for any other NHL team since being drafted by the organization in 2006. This is actually quite rare for Leafs draft picks given how often they seem to be traded away before their games are truly developed at the NHL level.
With that established, and while it should be irrefutable that Kulemin has fully developed and established his game, the question then becomes – Is he someone who the Leafs need moving forward?
For me, the answer is very simple – Yes he is, and the team should absolutely lock this guy up for another couple of years.
The thing about Kulemin is that he’s more often than not, unnoticeable. He does all the little things so well which most fans miss as they keep glued to their TV sets for big hits, goals, or plays. And although he’s scored 30 goals one season, Kulemin should not really be considered as an offensive threat but rather a strong defensively responsible forward who can chip in a few.
At this point in time Toronto has plenty of forwards who can score, they have a few players who can fight and lay the big hits, but forwards like Kulemin – I argue – they do not have an abundance of; at least not proven at the NHL level anyways. And what this 27 year old forward offers to the Leafs is just that – a guy who can keep the opposition from scoring.
So far this year, Kulemin has been on the ice for 47% of Toronto’s penalty kills, has only been given a total of 37% offensive zone starts, is 6th on the team in plus/minus, is one of their least penalized players, currently ranked quite high in blocked shots and hits given his TOI, but most importantly, the team has only allowed 2.14 goals against per 60 minutes while he has been on the ice in comparison to 2.70 goals against while he is sitting.
What should also be noted when trying to assess Kulemin’s play is the evident decrease in his shot totals which provides reason for his lower offensive production. So far this year Kulemin has taken 54 shots in 48 games (1.12/g), last year he took 72 shots in 48 games (1.50/g), while the two previous years he shot at a 1.52 and 2.10 pace per game, respectively. I don't think I need to tell you which of the four years yielded his highest scoring totals.
There has clearly been a decrease in Kulemin’s confidence as the forward opts to either dump and chase or pass the puck more often than shoot this year, and while the rest of his game has remained consistent, this area could stand to level back out to around 1.5 shots or greater per game.
Moreover, when Kulemin does start shooting more often and regains confidence in his offensive game, we all know that he has the ability to provide secondary scoring for the Leafs. And while he won’t be relied upon for said scoring, it’s nice to know that one of your strongest defensive forwards can also find the back of the net with a rocket of a shot. In fact, over Toronto’s most recent 11 game stretch, Kulemin registered three goals and three assists – not bad for your third liner.
Though his most recent offensive output hasn’t been great, Kulemin will certainly fetch a lot of attention on the open market if Toronto were unable to either sign or trade the forward. That said, there are plenty of teams who would love to add a player like Nikolai to their playoff ready rosters, but does he hold a value in the trade market which is high enough to entertain? I personally don’t think so. If Toronto can resign Kulemin in the $3M range, I feel that this would be the best scenario for both the player and the team.
“I would love to stay,” said Kulemin. “I like everything here. It’s the only team I’ve played for. I like the organization and everything. We’ll see how it goes. Nothing changed for me when Grabovski left. Yeah, I was really close with him. But there’s a lot of guys here that have played with me for a long time.”
So, I ask you - What does Toronto need to do with this player as they look to not only make the playoffs, but compete beyond the first round? Do they give him a chance to prove his worth in the playoffs, or try and cash in now?
Thanks for reading!
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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