Andrei Kuzmenko, the Vancouver Canucks winger, has been candid about the hurdles he's encountering in the current NHL season. Despite coming off a previous 74-point campaign that earned him a lucrative two-year contract worth $11 million, Kuzmenko is currently experiencing a dip in his production levels.
This season, Kuzmenko's tally stands at a modest 15 points, with four goals and 11 assists across 21 games. This marked decrease in output has led to him being scratched from the lineup twice as a healthy scratch. Compounding his challenges, Kuzmenko is also recovering from a facial injury sustained when a shot from teammate JT Miller deflected off his face during a game against the New York Islanders. While the injury sidelined him temporarily, team officials anticipate his prompt return to the ice.
Kuzmenko's Lone Bright Spot in Loss
In a recent matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights at Rogers Arena, Kuzmenko managed to score a solitary goal. The play unfolded as Miller seized a loose puck, drove towards the net, and served up a pass to Kuzmenko, who then fired a wrist shot past Vegas goaltender Logan Thompson. Despite this effort, the Canucks fell 4-1. Reflecting on his individual performance, Kuzmenko expressed a team-first mentality, saying, "It doesn't matter if I scored ... it doesn't matter if my score doesn't help the team. I need to be better, this I understand. That's why I haven't played (as much) this season."
The Canucks' top line, featuring Kuzmenko alongside Ilia Mikheyev and Elias Pettersson, has not lived up to expectations, being overshadowed by the second line in terms of both scoring and general play throughout the first quarter of the NHL season. Pettersson, at center, has amassed 30 points with nine goals and 21 assists, while right winger Mikheyev has contributed 12 points, including seven goals and five assists.
Coach Tocchet's Clear Expectations
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet is calling for a step-up in effort and performance from Kuzmenko, describing his season thus far as just "OK." Tocchet has made his message clear by benching the winger for consecutive games against the Seattle Kraken and San Jose Sharks in late November. "He's got to get his game a little bit more sharpened up," Tocchet emphasized on November 27. "It's not about last year, it's about this year for us. And he's a guy that needed a reset."
Tocchet has set specific benchmarks for Kuzmenko, expecting him to intensify his engagement in puck battles along the boards and to improve his defensive reactions in the neutral zone. "Those are the little things that I value around here. It's not about just scoring goals. Goal scorers are going to go through slumps," Tocchet stated. "The little things matter. That's part of our staples and he has to understand that's the Bible for us around here."
Despite the loss to Vegas, Kuzmenko's third-period performance drew praise from Tocchet, who noted the player's direct approach. "If you watch his shifts in the third, he was going A to B," Tocchet observed. "He wasn't zigzagging, backward skating defending; he was going forward."
Acknowledging the high bar set by his coach, Kuzmenko remains focused on elevating his game. He is acutely aware of the need to bolster his scoring, particularly given his four-goal count this year. Addressing questions about his mental state amid a protracted goal drought that spanned almost all of November, Kuzmenko remained upbeat. "What interesting questions about mentality. It's an interesting moment for mentality, for personality, for me," he said with a smile. "It's simple with the hard work mentality, work in the gym, it's simple."
Looking ahead, Kuzmenko is determined to build upon his latest performance as the Canucks prepare to face the Calgary Flames on Saturday. His commitment to improvement and attention to the finer details of the game will be crucial as he strives to meet the expectations laid out by Coach Tocchet and contribute more significantly to his team's success.