Andrei Kuzmenko is getting healthy-scratched by the Flames tonight
The Calgary Flames will be making Andrei Kuzmenko a healthy scratch for tonight’s game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Several fans in Calgary have been calling for this decision to be made as of late. The 28-year-old has had a rough first quarter of the 2024-25 season, scoring just one goal while adding eight helpers through 25 games.
“Sometimes a player just needs to take a step back and catch his breath a little bit. I think Andrei’s in that category right now,” head coach Ryan Huska said this morning. “Watching a game and having a little different view as to what’s going on and where he is a good player sometimes is important, just to take a step back and have a chance to watch.”
The slow start is bad news for the Flames organization, as they appeared to be set up for a big trade return for Kuzmenko just a few months ago. The pending UFA scored goals in bunches after being acquired partway through the 2023-24 season, notching 14 in just 29 games as a Flame.
A similar level of production was expected for Kuzmenko this season, though he hasn’t come remotely close to replicating it. It’s clear that the struggles have taken a toll on his confidence, as he isn’t nearly as trigger-happy as he was to close out the 2023-24 campaign.
This isn’t the first tough stretch he’s endured at the NHL level. After a very good rookie season with the Vancouver Canucks in 2022-23, he struggled to mesh with head coach Rick Tocchet due in large part to his defensive shortcomings, and his offensive totals took a major hit as a result.
He was able to snap out of that offensive funk following the trade, and Huska is clearly hoping having him sit out for a game will see similar results.
In Kuzmenko’s defence, he’s far from the only Flame struggling to put up points this season. The entire team is averaging just 2.52 goals per game, which ranks 28th amongst all 32 teams. Nazem Kadri leads the way in scoring with only 15 points, further indicating just how difficult goals have been to come by for this group.
The Flames’ lack of goals didn’t hurt them too much through their first 21 games of the season, as great goaltending helped lead them to a 12-6-3 record. However, Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar have both stumbled a bit as of late, which resulted in a winless four-game road trip. They suddenly sit at 12-9-4 and are just barely clinging onto a wild-card position.
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