More Trouble For Kuzmenko In Vancouver

Here we go again. For a few weeks now, last season's 39-goal scorer Andrei Kuzmenko has been seeing his ice time diminish, even including a couple of healthy scratches. And that will be the case again tonight, as Kuzmenko is set to watch from the press box yet again. 

Tocchet on the decision to scratch Kuzmenko: “Just trying to win a game tonight and I felt this was the best lineup. We’ll re-evaluate (for) the Dallas game.” #Canucks

— Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2) December 19, 2023

“Just trying to win a game tonight and I felt this was the best lineup. We’ll re-evaluate (for) the Dallas game," said head coach Rick Tocchet. 

In his last two games, at Minnesota and Chicago, Kuzmenko's stat sheet has been nothing but zeros. No shots, no hits, no goals, no assists, no... well, you get the point. This, from last year's rookie sensation, with 39 goals and 74 points. He's currently at 6 goals and 17 points through 29 games this season.  

Canucks beat writer Thomas Drance of The Athletic notes that Vancouver has been outshot 64-36 with Kuzmenko on the ice at 5-on-5. Yikes.

Don Taylor of the Donnie & Dhali podcast calls it a "strange situation", while Rick Dhaliwal noted that "his confidence is at an all-time low." 

"I just wonder now Don where this ends up.."@DonTaylor5 and @DhaliwalSports react to a second healthy scratch this season for Andrei Kuzmenko tonight in Nashville.https://t.co/h4e2SKM7eJ pic.twitter.com/EkvcoWXAwT

— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) December 19, 2023

He's now had more healthy scratches (3) than power play goals (2) this season.  

Kuzmenko is on a $5.5M cap hit, and his offensive game has disappeared; finding a trade partner could be very difficult. "I just wonder where this all ends up," asks Dhaliwal, rhetorically. 

Photo: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports