Vancouver Canucks winger Andrei Kuzmenko is confronting a pivotal moment in his NHL career. After securing a lucrative two-year contract worth $11 million, following an impressive 74-point haul last season, the Russian athlete's current campaign has been less fruitful. With just 15 points, including four goals and 11 assists from 21 games, Kuzmenko has found himself benched as a healthy scratch on two occasions, signaling a need for improvement.
Compounding his on-ice struggles, Kuzmenko is currently recovering from a facial injury sustained during Wednesday's game against the New York Islanders—a deflected shot from teammate JT Miller. While the injury has temporarily sidelined him, he is expected to make a prompt return to the lineup.
In a recent clash with the Vegas Golden Knights at Rogers Arena, Kuzmenko managed to score a solitary goal. Miller seized a loose puck and set up Kuzmenko, who fired a wrist shot past Vegas goaltender Logan Thompson. Despite this effort, the Canucks succumbed to a 4-1 defeat.
"It doesn't matter if I scored ... it doesn't matter if my score doesn't help the team," Kuzmenko remarked post-game. "I need to be better, this I understand. That's why I haven't played (as much) this season."
Comparing Line Performances
The Canucks' top line, featuring Kuzmenko, Ilia Mikheyev, and Elias Pettersson, has not matched the output of their second-line counterparts in scoring and overall play during the first quarter of the NHL season. Pettersson, serving as the center, has tallied 30 points with nine goals and 21 assists. Mikheyev, on the right wing, has contributed 12 points with seven goals and five assists.
Coach Tocchet's Expectations
Rick Tocchet, head coach of the Canucks, has made his expectations clear: he wants more from Kuzmenko. Describing the winger's season performance as "OK," Tocchet has called for increased effort and productivity. This demand for improvement led to Kuzmenko being benched 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 expressed 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 outlined specific areas where Kuzmenko needs to excel: intensifying his engagement in puck battles along the boards and showing quicker 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 team's loss, Kuzmenko's goal and his improved play in the third period of Thursday's game did not go unnoticed by Tocchet, who commended the winger's direct approach to the game.
"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 expectations placed upon him, Kuzmenko remains focused on elevating his game and contributing to the team's success. He also brushed aside any suggestions that his mentality had wavered during his nearly month-long goal drought in November.
"What interesting questions about mentality. It's an interesting moment for mentality, for personality, for me," Kuzmenko said, smiling. "It's simple with the hard work mentality, work in the gym, it's simple."
With an eye towards continuous improvement, Kuzmenko is eager to build on his latest performance when the Canucks face off against the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
Kuzmenko's journey this season underscores the fluctuating nature of professional sports, where past accolades offer no guarantee of present success. As he works to regain his form under the scrutinizing gaze of Coach Tocchet, fans and teammates alike will be hopeful that Kuzmenko can recapture the magic that once made him a standout performer and help steer the Canucks back to winning ways.