Report: Teams calling Canucks about Andrei Kuzmenko
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday on Sportsnet’s “Saturday Headlines” that NHL teams are calling the Vancouver Canucks about winger Andrei Kuzmenko.
“Other teams have called Vancouver saying ‘What are you willing to do here?'” Friedman started. “The Canucks are always looking to clear cap room, so we’ll see how that develops over time. There is no question that teams are asking Vancouver what their plans are with this particular player.”
Kuzmenko, 27, is in the first year of a two-year, $11 million contract he signed back on Jan. 26. However, that deal was signed only four days after Rick Tocchet was named head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. Since then, it appears the relationship between the two as deteriorated significantly.
It’s worth noting that, for inquiring teams, if Kuzmenko can get back to the form that saw him score 39 goals in 81 games last year, his $5.5 million cap hit is relatively inexpensive. This year, it’s been a different story for the Russian. Kuzmenko has a respectable 15 points in 24 games, but only four of those 15 are goals.
In addition, Kuzmenko has been benched, healthy scratched, or demoted at varying points in the season. This is because the Canucks are struggling defensively with Kuzmenko on the ice, which is due to the 27-year-old missing his forechecking assignments, among other things.
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There doesn’t appear to be anything imminent on the Canucks’ front, but Friedman’s report is significant. This now shows that teams around the NHL have noticed the situation brewing between the Canucks and Kuzmenko, which might also entail that Vancouver may start to lose trade leverage should the situation drag on.
In any case, the inevitable seems to be rapidly approaching, and the Vancouver Canucks would be wise to at least get a feel for what the market is for their struggling player.