Nikolai Kulemin

Young NHL players get compared to star players often.

It is done to show where an inexperienced player's potential could take them and what it might look like when they get there.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have no shortage of youngsters on their roster for the upcoming 2010-2011 season, but there is one in particular whose play and style is almost the prefect mirror image of an NHL superstar. 

Nikolai Kulemin plays a lot like Pavel Datsyuk.

With the 2010-11 NHL training camps just a few weeks away, many Toronto Maple Leaf fans are excited to see what can Nazem Kadri bring to the table.

Kadri had an impressive training camp last season, demonstrating his ability to score on a nightly basis.

Where Kadri fell short was in the size department, something he has addressed this off-season to the tune of what is expected to be a 15-20 pound weight gain.

Welcome Toronto Maple Leafs fans and fellow members of Leafs Nation to this week's edition of Bleeding Blue and White.

This time last summer, Leafs Nation was discussing a possible trade with the Boston Bruins for their number one sniper, Phil Kessel.  While many journalists and fans feel the need to analyze the potential loss for the Toronto Maple Leafs, I am declaring victory for Brian Burke.

The Leafs had an admirable finish to the 09-10 season and now I'm going to predict statistics like the following:

I am predicting about 42 wins for these guys. From the Phaneuf trade on to the end of the season they went 13-9-3 and that is before the Versteeg trade and Armstrong signing. Those 13 wins put them up for about 42 wins.

Points for the following players: Colby Armstrong, Kris Versteeg, Luke Schenn, Dion Phaneuf, Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak, Nikolai Kulemin, Nazem Kadri.

The Toronto Maple Leafs switched around their line-up quite a few times this past season, switching through different forwards until they figured out who deserves a spot on the team.

Well judging by last season, I narrowed my top 12 forwards if the Leafs season started right now.

Granted the fact that this list might change in a few weeks... *cough* top six forward *cough*

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The Maple Leafs bolstered their core of forwards in the opening days of free agency by acquiring Kris Versteeg from the Chicago Blackhawks and signing Colby Armstrong to a  three year contract. Brian Burke and Co. also re-signed restricted free agent Nikolai Kulemin and inked John Mitchell to a new one-year deal. German forward Marcel Mueller was also signed to a two-year contract, with expectations that he’ll play for the Toronto Marlies this fall.

After weeks of negotiating, the Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that they have signed winger Nikolai Kulemin to a two-year, $4.7 million contract.

The deal is somewhat of a compromise to what Kulemin was originally asking for—believed to be in the $3 million per season range.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke had said all along that he had no intention of paying first line money to a player he deemed had not earned it, thus, the $4.7 deal, which both parties are happy with.

As free-agency day nears, Brian Burke has many options on his plate.

When hockey fans gather and think of all the possibilities in the summer, they usually only think of the usual options: free agents.

Look for Burke to make one or two interesting moves around the start of free agency that can occur.

In my opinion, these are moves that are very intriguing.

Nikolai Kulemin

A recent article by Toronto Sun writer Lance Hornsby reported that the Maple Leafs opted to not offer restricted free agent John Mitchell a qualifying offer, thus making him an unrestricted free agent July 1st.

Outside of the ongoing Tomas Kaberle trade rumors and Dion Phaneuf being named the 18th captain in Toronto Maple Leafs' franchise history, the news is Toronto's struggle to re-sign RFA Nikolai Kulemin.

While Kulemin did post a career high 36 points playing on the Leafs' first line, Kulemin's price range is way out of hand, and while some Toronto fans want him re-signed, they do not understand that if the Leafs do re-sign Kulemin, then they will have no money for a real winger in this year's free agent class.