The longest-serving Maple Leaf might not be back in Toronto next year, but he’s planning to stay in North America.
That’s what Gary Greenstin -- the agent representing Leafs winger Nikolai Kulemin, told the Toronto Sun this week -- saying Kulemin “remains set” on playing in the NHL next season.
Here’s more, from the Sun:
[Greenstin] had informal chats with both director of hockey operations Dave Poulin and assistant GM Claude Loiselle. Kulemin, the longest-serving Leaf, made $2.8 million US this year, but might not be back at that price, given how everything has gone with the Leafs of late.
“I’d like to say he’ll be with the Maple Leafs and winning the Stanley Cup,” Greenstin said with a smile. “But right now, he’s under contract until June 30 and we’ll go from there.”
Kulemin, 27, is in his sixth season with Toronto. He had a career year in 2010-11, scoring 30 goals and 57 points while appearing in all 82 games, and was rewarded with a two-year, $5.6 million extension in July 2012.
This year, he has nine goals and 20 points in 64 games, averaging over 16 minutes a night. There’s a good chance teams would be interested in him come free agency but, with that said, it’s hard to ignore Kulemin’s ties to Russia and the KHL.
A product of Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Kulemin is a decorated international participant, representing Russia at the World Under-18s, the World Juniors, the Word Hockey Championships and two Winter Olympics (all told he’s won a bronze, two silvers and two goals combined.) Greenstin told the Sun that Kulemin would welcome another chance to suit up for Russia at the ’14 Worlds, to be held in May in Belarus.
It’s alto worth noting Kulemin still has strong ties to Metallurg, having spent considerable time there during the lockout. Kulemin notched 38 points in 34 games during the 2012-13 campaign and finished third on the team in scoring.
As for his future in Toronto...here’s what Darren Dreger told TSN Radio yesterday:Dreger “Nonis won’t go out and spend a pile of money to replace Kulemin when he has an Ashton ready to step in”
— Hope_Smoke (@Hope_Smoke) April 1, 2014