It has been a rough start to Andrei Kuzmenko’s sophomore season. The 27-year-old had 39 goals last season but has been limited to just four in his first 25 games of the year. He has been a healthy scratch at times and has lined up recently on the fourth line as well, fueling trade speculation. Speaking with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Canucks president Jim Rutherford indicated that they’re keeping an open mind with Kuzmenko and not locking themselves into just one answer when asked about their willingness to let the winger play his way out of his struggles. Kuzmenko is in the first season of a two-year contract that carries a $5.5MM AAV; Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported over the weekend (video link) that teams had started calling Vancouver to gauge Kuzmenko’s availability.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- There will be no supplemental discipline coming to Ducks center Ryan Strome from his hit on Jets winger Kyle Connor, reports Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press (Twitter link). Strome received a major penalty on the play, one that was upheld after review. Meanwhile, Connor was slated to undergo an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury. Connor is off to a great start to his season with 17 goals and 11 assists in 26 games, leading Winnipeg in scoring while being tied for fourth in the NHL in goals.
- Following their loss to Nashville last night, the Canadiens announced that winger Tanner Pearson will miss the next four to six weeks with an upper-body injury that was sustained on Saturday against Buffalo. The 31-year-old is in his first season with Montreal after missing almost of all 2022-23 with a hand injury that required several surgeries. Pearson has four goals and four assists in 27 games so far this year.
- A group of Virginia state lawmakers voted Monday for a deal that would bring the Capitals and NBA Wizards to a new arena in Northern Virginia, report Teo Armus, Laura Vozzella, Sam Fortier, and Gregory S. Schneider of the Washington Post. If the plan received approval from the General Assembly and other local officials, the two teams would play in an arena in Alexandria’s Potomac Yard neighborhood. Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the group that owns the Caps and Wizards, would lease the new facility under this plan. Capital One Arena, where the team plays now, is one of the older buildings in the NHL having been built back in 1997.
The Caps will soon enter in a lengthy rebuild and they won’t be filling any arena’s for quite awhile.
The Caps could easily begin a rebuild tomorrow, if they chose not to help Ovi chase the all-time goal leader race. Sell off Oshie, Kussie, Carlson, ect. But that would also potentially take them from their 620 current winning percentage to a rebuild that doesn’t help Ovi and his/the teams record. Nor does it help their playoff percentage. The Caps are projected to be in now so no reason to blow it up yet…
But you do you Wilf.
Kuzmenko’s struggle has been rough to watch. He’s passing in spots he would’ve shot last year and he’s missing/fanning the shots he does take. He’s lost his confidence. He’s a great guy and I hope he can get his game back.