Son of Former Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Drawing First-Round Pick Draft Buzz

Nikolay Kulemin's son, Aleks, is drawing major buzz as a potential first round draft choice in tomorrow's Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

Aleks, 16, is a forward with the Don Mills Flyers of the Greater Toronto Hockey League. Kulemin is a defensive-minded forward with good size at 6'2 and solid skating ability.

Aleks is the son of former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nikolay Kulemin.

Nikolay was a second round pick of the Leafs in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, 44th overall. Having played in Russia for his hometown Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Kulemin made his NHL debut for Toronto in the 2008-09 season, in which he quickly became a productive winger with 15 goals and 31 points in 73 games.

A 30-goal scorer in Toronto, Nikolay played 10 seasons in the NHL with the Leafs and the New York Islanders before heading back to Russia in 2018.

He ended up coming back to North America in 2024 on a tryout deal with the Ottawa Senators, something done to be closer to his son who was playing professionally in Canada.

Veteran hockey writer Ken Campbell has Kulemin at ninth overall in his mock draft to the Kingston Frontenacs.

Campbell says that "no player has risen more dramatically" than Kulemin, and speculates he could go even higher than placed.

The GTHL does not publish stats of players, so Aleks' totals are not publicly available, but he went pointless in three games with Don Mills in the OHL Cup, although providing defensive reliability.

Campbell also has Kulemin's teammate in Don Mills, Charlie Murata, going seventh to the Soo Greyhounds in his mock. Some scouts have viewed Murata the top prospect in the draft.

The Flyers may also have the first defenseman off the board in Peter Green, a smart, high-impact RHD who has dealt with injury issues.

Ken Campbell also reports the first overall pick will be center Kaden McGregor of the Ottawa Valley Titans being drafted to the OHL by the Peterborough Petes.

A major riser from the start of the season, McGregor is a highly well-rounded prospect with a strong hockey IQ and creativity.

McGregor had 38 goals and 82 points in 29 games played for Ottawa Valley in the HEO.

Sources have told HockeyPatrol that Sun County Panthers forward Jaakko Wycisk is the likely favorite to go #2 to the Guelph Storm.

Wycisk is an equally talented goal scorer & playmaking threat with strong physicality and effort. Wycisk had 61 points in 30 games played for Sun County.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have another team connection in the projected third pick, Brock Chitaroni.

Chitaroni's dad, Terry, was a fourth round draft pick of Toronto in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, and played in the minors for the Leafs in St. John's.

Peterborough had taken a strong look at Jaakko Wycisk before being firm on Kaden McGregor as their guy, according to sources.

After what is believed to be the first and second picks of McGregor & Wycisk, it appears third is still an unknown, with both Chitaroni and Max Delisle two names connected to the Ottawa 67's at third.

Sarnia, as is in Ken's mock, are expected to take Brenner Lammens, a highly creative puck mover, although Delisle has also been mentioned as a name.

Ryerson Edgar, mocked at 10th, is likely to jump up a spot or two come draft day, with many scouts high on the center.

As Ken alludes to, multiple potential first round picks are headed to the NTDP. Kane Barch, who HockeyPatrol can confirm will be with the USA U17 team, along with Cannon Thibodeau and Trevor Daley Jr., the son of the former NHLer of the same name, are potentially headed to the U.S. with the National Team.

Ken also notes American Rocco Pelosi as a highly touted player. Many U.S. scouts view him as one of the best American players in years at his age. One scout compared him favorably to Devils star Jack Hughes. A likely top-2 pick if he was OHL bound, maybe at #1.

One American expected to come the other way to play in the OHL is Landon Jackman, mocked at 21st. It is unclear if Drew Roscoe, at 12th, will come over or choose to continue playing in the USA despite not making the NTDP.