Kulonummi followed last year’s breakout with a better, more convincing one. He finished 2025-26 with seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points in 42 Liiga games for K-Espoo, then added two goals and two assists in five playoff games. By late November he was already sitting top-five in K-Espoo’s internal scoring at 6-9-15, which said a lot about how much more involved he had become in the attack.

Playing in his third season in the top Finnish league, Kulonummi posted 17 points over 47 games in 2024-25. Although the total output is not eyebrow-raising, the jump from four points in 40 games in 2023-24 to 17 in 47 is. The Predators do have a decent prospect on their hands with Kulonummi, and might see him get a look at the NHL within a few years. The projection for Kulonummi is not more than a bottom-four defenseman with second power play unit duties; however, that is a good result for a 6-0 defenseman drafted in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft.

Kulonummi projects as a second or third-pair defenseman who can contribute offensively while not being a liability in his own zone. In 40 games with the Jokerit U20 team, he scored three goals and 29 points. Going into next season, he is projected to see time in Liiga with Tappara.

Kulonummi was drafted 84th overall by the Nashville Predators.

Kulonummi had a good first half of the season with Jokerit in U20 SM-sarja, notching two goals and 16 assists in 25 games. He has also been the leading defender on Finland’s U18 national team, with a goal and 12 assists in 13 games. His current pace of .72 points per game would be the 13th highest mark among draft-eligible defencemen in U20 SM-sarja since 2000. For context, that is more than Carolina’s 2021 second-rounder Aleksi Heimosalmi and Blue Jackets 2020 third-rounder Samuel Knazko had during their respective draft years.

The encouraging part is not just the raw total. The offense came in ways that fit an NHL support-defense projection. He chipped in on the power play, scored at KalPa on Feb. 24, posted a three-assist night against Sport on Feb. 28, and then scored again on the power play in K-Espoo’s March 23 playoff push against Ässät. That points to growing confidence at the line and better timing joining second-wave offense, even if he still looks more like a facilitator than a true power play driver.

The overall read is stronger now. Kulonummi looks increasingly like a mobile right-shot defender who can handle pro pace, move pucks cleanly, and give a second unit some utility. The fantasy upside is still modest because the offense looks additive rather than dynamic, but the NHL case is cleaner than it was a year ago.

Kulonummi is an offensive-minded two-way defender. He is a smooth skater with great edge work and moves the puck well in all three zones. On breakouts, he gives precise passes but what I really like is how he uses his defensive partner as an outlet to calm the play if he doesn’t have a play to make. His puck retrievals are good and he can use pivots well to both escape pressure and make plays in a hurry. Kulonummi is more of a puck mover, but he has flashed some puck carrying skills in transition as well. On the offensive zone blue line, he has shown good deception and four-way mobility to make plays. He keeps his legs moving and has the ability to either keep the cycle going or deliver the puck to the net. He isn’t much of a shooter but gets shots through traffic, which is the most important thing. He is also an efficient powerplay quarterback as he is deceptive with the puck and can move it well. Kulonummi’s hockey sense is very good and he has the awareness to make the right decision more often than not. He maintains good positioning and anticipates many situations well. He also possesses a solid defensive game, controlling the gap pretty well and pressuring the puck carrier off the rush. His defensive zone game could be improved and he needs to gain a lot of strength, but it isn’t a huge detriment as he uses stick checks effectively. Kulonummi isn’t exactly a Cale Makar type of offensive dynamo, but he can drive the play with his great puck-moving and doesn’t really have any glaring weaknesses in his game. Along with physicality, Kulonummi also lacks high-end skating speed and explosiveness but if he continues to play well and develop his game, he could be a potential second or third round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.