Andrei Kuzmenko of the Vancouver Canucks has openly acknowledged the hurdles he is facing this season. Following a previous campaign that saw him tally an impressive 74 points, the Russian winger's current performance has notably dipped, despite having secured a two-year contract valued at $11 million. His statistics show a decline, with just 15 points—comprising four goals and 11 assists—over 21 games.
The downturn in his output has led to Kuzmenko being benched as a healthy scratch on two occasions. Compounding his challenges, he sustained a facial injury from a deflected shot by teammate JT Miller during a recent match against the New York Islanders. The incident has temporarily sidelined him from the lineup, but expectations are high for his imminent return to the ice.
In a game 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 delivered a pass to Kuzmenko, who then fired a wrist shot past Vegas goaltender Logan Thompson. Despite this effort, the Canucks fell 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, expressing a self-critical view of his contribution. "I need to be better, this I understand. That's why I haven't played (as much) this season."
Comparing Lines
The Canucks' top line, featuring Kuzmenko alongside Ilia Mikheyev and Elias Pettersson, has not matched the performance levels of the team's second line, both in scoring and overall gameplay, during the first quarter of the NHL season. Pettersson, serving as center, has accumulated 30 points with nine goals and 21 assists. On the other hand, right winger Mikheyev has earned 12 points with seven goals and five assists.
Coach's Perspective
Rick Tocchet, the head coach for the Canucks, has expressed a desire for greater effort and productivity from Kuzmenko, describing his season's performance thus far as merely "OK." Tocchet's response was to bench the winger for back-to-back 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 stated 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 been clear about his expectations for Kuzmenko, emphasizing the need for increased intensity in puck battles along the boards and faster 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 explained. "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 the Golden Knights, Kuzmenko's goal and overall performance did not go unnoticed. Tocchet commended the winger's focused play, particularly in the third period.
"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."
Kuzmenko himself is cognizant of the high expectations placed upon him and is committed to improving. He acknowledges the statistical slump, especially with his four-goal tally this year, and maintains his focus on contributing positively to the team's efforts.
When asked about his mentality during the protracted goal drought throughout November, Kuzmenko responded with optimism, dismissing concerns. "What interesting questions about mentality. It's an interesting moment for mentality, for personality, for me," he said, smiling. "It's simple with the hard work mentality, work in the gym, it's simple."
Looking ahead, Kuzmenko is determined to build upon his recent performance when the Canucks face off against the Calgary Flames on Saturday. With the coach's constructive criticism and his own resolve to enhance his play, the winger is poised to turn his season around and live up to the expectations set by his lucrative contract.