NHL teams asking Canucks about plan for Kuzmenko: report
NHL clubs are interested in what the Vancouver Canucks plan to do with forward Andrei Kuzmenko according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Friedman reported today that other NHL clubs have been calling the Canucks and checking in on the team’s plan for the Russian forward.
“There are some conversations around him,” Friedman said today on Hockey Night in Canada about Kuzmenko. “Other teams have called Vancouver saying ‘what are you willing to do here?’ They know the Canucks are always looking to clear cap room.”
Kuzmenko has fallen out of favour with head coach Rick Tocchet, spending a lot of time stapled to the bench in recent games. He has just four goals and 15 points in 24 games so far this season and has sat out multiple times as a healthy scratch.
The most recent iteration of the Canucks’ lineup has Kuzmenko skating on the bottom forward line. His ice-time has dropped off by more than a full minute when compared to last season.
With a cap hit of $5.5 million for one more year after this, the Russian winger represents a sizeable financial commitment for the Canucks. With big names like Elias Pettersson, Filip Hronek, and Nikita Zadorov needing new contracts next summer, the club may be interested in getting out of Kuzmenko’s contract one year early.
“There is no question that teams are asking Vancouver what their plans are with this particular player,” Friedman continued.
Kuzmenko signed his current contract last year in the middle of his 39-goal season. His shooting percentage has cratered from 27.3% to 11.1%, resulting in a drastic difference in his scoring pace.
There have been 10 trades made in the NHL since September 1 and the Canucks have been involved in four. General manager Patrik Allvin has been aggressive in adding to this roster and could potentially be involved in another deal involving Kuzmenko soon.