Senators Release Former Islanders Forward

A veteran forward's NHL comeback with the Ottawa Senators fell short.

Sep 22, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators forward Nikolay Kulemin (86) knocks over Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev (8) in the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Ottawa Senators have released veteran forward Nikolay Kulemin from his professional tryout agreement (PTO), the team announced Monday.

Kulemin, who last played in the NHL with the New York Islanders in 2017, attempted to stage an NHL comeback this offseason after six years in the KHL. The 38-year-old signed with the Senators on Sept. 5 and saw some action in the preseason, recording an assist in two games, but ultimately, his comeback bid fell short before the regular season.

A second-round pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2006, Kulemin appeared in 669 games over 10 seasons with the Maple Leafs and Islanders. In that time, he scored 121 goals and 153 assists for 274 points. His best season came with Toronto in 2010-11, when he scored 30 goals and 27 points for 57 points in 82 games.

After leaving the Islanders in 2018, Kulemin returned to his home country of Russia and spent three seasons each with KHL clubs Metallurg Magnitogorsk and Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Last season with the latter team, he scored 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in 46 games.

Now, Kulemin waits to see what his path forward is. If he's set on continuing his comeback, he could opt to sign with an AHL team and potentially work his way up to the NHL. If not, then he could very well go back to Europe once more.

Ottawa has three more preseason games remaining - against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, the Detroit Lions on Friday and the Canadiens again on Saturday. After that, the Senators open the regular season against the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Oct. 10.

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