Aleks Kulemin

Scouting Notes

He isn’t an overly fast skater, but he has good mobility and is strong on his edges. Shows good edgework on pivots and is comfortable defending backward. He looks fairly solid in his skating overall and has the strength and balance to handle himself in traffic.

He has some decent shooting ability, particularly with his toe-drag wrister, which he can release with some authority. However, his accuracy is lacking, and he too often fires the puck directly into the goalie’s chest or pads on scoring chances.

His individual handling is a real strength. He has good coordination in tight spaces, is a strong receiver of the puck, and can make defenders miss with his handling. His toe drag is particularly effective. He has some ability to create advantages off the rush, but can get overzealous with his handling and turn pucks over in dangerous areas. He isn’t a cerebral passer or shooter, and his offensive game can be a little chaotic at times, but he shows some interesting ideas and has the hands to make things happen.

He looks comfortable playing around the net and is willing to get into the dirty areas. He can work the cycle, handle the puck under pressure, and use his frame to protect possession. He has a strong, heavy stick and appears to be very effective in faceoff situations. He wins a lot of puck battles through his strength, stick work, and work ethic rather than looking to overpower opponents physically. He works hard on the forecheck and engages strongly in contested situations.

Defensively, he looks like a responsible centre who understands his assignments and provides good support. He is generally aware of his responsibilities when defencemen pinch and is usually in position to provide coverage. His effort level and ability to win pucks are positives, although he can struggle at times with rush defence and identifying trailing opponents. He has a fairly thick lower body and the strength to compete, but he is more interested in winning possession than delivering big hits.

There are a lot of solid pro traits here, and he looks like a potential pro centre with good size, strong hands, faceoff ability, and the willingness to play a responsible two-way game. The offensive upside is the biggest question. He has legitimate puck skill and can create opportunities with his hands, but the decision-making, puck management, and shooting accuracy need to improve for him to become a consistent offensive contributor. I see a solid foundation for a dependable two-way centre, with the potential to provide secondary offence if he can simplify his game and become more efficient with the puck.