Edmonton Oil Kings forward had a whale of a Memorial Cup, putting up seven points in five games and registering them all at the right moments, en route to a Canadian national championship.
But questions about the big Latvian winger remain...
Like, was his sudden hike this season 鈥� from 17 points to 60 in 66 games 鈥� too sudden? Sure, he was great in London, but is he ready for the NHL? Will he ever be ready for the NHL?
The debate really isn't about whether Kulda can be an NHL player. It's more about, where will he go in this year's draft?
Ranked 145th by Central Scouting before the Memorial Cup, he was already expected to be picked at some point, after he was passed over last year.
But did Kulda's performance boost his stock enough? Can he jump into the second round? Or, is he still fitting in right where many scouts had him before, in the fourth round of later?
(*, it's evident that Kulda's perception among NHL scouts is all over the map...)
One thing's clear: Kulda didn't shy away from the top line on Canada's best junior team, playing with headliners and Mitchell Moroz in Edmonton.
And he only got better on his game's biggest stage, when the Oil Kings doubled up the Guelph Storm last month.
How far that takes him in June is, apparently, up to people who should know the best.
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