Canucks coach Tocchet making Kuzmenko a healthy scratch again

Sergei Belski/USA TODAY Sports

Andrei Kumzenko will be a healthy scratch for the Vancouver Canucks tonight.

Head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed the news after the Russian winger was not included on any line during the team’s pre-game skate as they prepare to take on a red-hot Nashville Predators team.

“Just trying to win a game tonight and I felt this was the best lineup. We’ll re-evaluate (for) the Dallas game,” explained Tocchet to the media this morning.

“Got to be ready from the first drop of the puck.”

🗣 Head Coach Rick Tocchet speaks on the importance of the team's start, and tonight's lineup.@theprovince | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/USVU7Eb6t6

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 19, 2023

The fourth line, which is where the winger has skated recently, this morning in Nashville featured Phil Di Giuseppe, Nils Aman, and Sam Lafferty, per Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy. Di Giuseppe draws back into the lineup in place of Kuzmenko.

Looks like a 4th line of PDG – Aman – Lafferty, so appears Kuzmenko is your healthy scratch up front.

— Dan Murphy (@sportsnetmurph) December 19, 2023

Kuzmenko was given just two shifts in the third period of the team’s last game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He played slightly more than seven minutes at five-on-five in that game, the second-lowest number of any Canucks skater.

The right-handed forward has already sat out multiple games as a healthy scratch so far this season. It’s been a rough sophomore season for the scoring winger who managed to pot 39 goals during his first NHL season last year.

This year, he has just 17 points in 29 games. That’s a 48-point pace over an 82-game sample size, or not too far off what he put up in terms of just goals last year.

However, the 27-year-old had managed to turn things around slightly and got on the scoresheet as of late. He scored two goals in his last four games despite playing in the bottom-six. Prior to that, he had just four goals in 25 games with plenty of that time being spent alongside Elias Pettersson.

The Canucks are on the road as they take on the Predators tonight. The puck drops to start that game at 5 pm PT.

You might also like: