Yes, Nikolay Kulemin is still playing professional hockey.

At the age of 38, the former Toronto Maple Leafs winger has spent the past six seasons in the KHL and is now ready to attempt one last kick at the can in North America with a try out for the Ottawa Senators this September.

The news certainly seems a bit out of the blue, but given the Senators’ perceived need for depth on the left wing it allows them to give an opportunity to the one time reliable two-way winger.

Outside of the Mac n’ the USSR glory year of 2010-11, Kulemin’s offensive production hasn’t been great, but his outputs have been consistent with what you’d look for in a third line option. Couple that with his physical play and his reliability at as a penalty killer, Kulemin was a very useful player for the Maple Leafs a decade ago. There was already a decline in his tough final year in Toronto and aside from his decent initial season with the Islanders, he struggled in New York leading to his return to Russia.

Kulemin’s performance in the KHL has been consistent and with limited options still left in free agency and the Senators having a fairly young roster, giving a pro try out to a veteran seems to make sense, but will probably leave a lot of Leafs fans disappointed to see Toronto facing off against a Burke era favourite even if it is only for the preseason.

Putting aside the emotions that go with the Battle of Ontario, Kulemin getting another shot at the NHL at 38 is a nice story. If things go well he could be an interesting waivers target for the Maple Leafs or a potential trade deadline depth target once the reality of the Senators season kicks in.

Additionally, the Senators are bringing in Calen Addison, a younger right shot defenceman with some promise. The Leafs will play the Senators twice in the preseason on September 22nd and September 24th.