With the Calgary Flames recently being eliminated from playoff contention, the rest of the 2023-24 season can be spent auditioning and experimenting with new players and lineups. After multiple trades this campaign that saw important roster players shipped out of town, rookie general manager Craig Conroy will have some holes to fill and new chemistry to create before the 2024-25 season begins. Much focus is on the young players, minor leaguers, and prospects and how they can contribute, but fans and media shouldn’t be counting out the Flames’ veterans just yet.
One such player proving his worth is recent acquisition, Andrei Kuzmenko. The 28-year-old Russian forward was brought in via the Vancouver Canucks as part of the Elias Lindholm trade. An undrafted free agent from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), the Canucks signed him to a one-year pact before the 2022-23 season, and he promptly put up an outstanding 39 goals and 74 points in 81 games. They rewarded him with a two-year, $11 million contract. He unfortunately fell off in 2023-24, only recording 21 points in 43 contests for the Canucks, and they seemed uninterested in helping him regain form. Kuzmenko and his outgoing $5.5 million salary became a cap dump in order for the Canucks to balance Lindholm’s incoming salary. However, his play as of late has many doubters biting their tongues. Let’s have a deeper look at Kuzmenko’s recent surge and what it means for both the Flames and himself.
Five-Game Point Streak for “Kuzy”
That’s right, despite the Flames winning just one of their past five games, Kuzmenko has recorded at least one point in each contest. Rookie head coach Ryan Huska has seemingly been utilizing him correctly and it has paid off for both parties. Kuzmenko is starting a career-high 81% of his shifts in the offensive zone and is getting a full minute more ice time compared to his time with the Canucks. His recent click happened after being put on a line with Nazem Kadri and rookie Martin Pospisil. The trio has outscored and out-chanced the opposition each game together. It has resulted in Kuzmenko scoring an impressive four goals, nine points, and 11 shots on goal during his five-game streak.
Kuzmenko’s presence has elevated the entire line’s production; Kadri has six points in his last five games and Pospisil has three points in the same stretch. Some critics claim Kuzmenko relies on the power play for his stats, but on this streak, all four of his goals have been scored at even strength and just four of his five assists came while on the man advantage. In fact, he is playing almost a full minute less on the power play since coming to Cowtown. The Flames have indeed been capitalizing on more power plays over the last five games, converting at a 42% clip (eight goals on 19 power plays). Kuzmenko is also contributing defensively, another popular criticism of his game. He has recorded 14 takeaways and five blocked shots in his 23 games as a Flame. While scoring at this five-game pace may be unsustainable, had Kuzmenko have played the full 82 games as a Flame he would finish with 32 goals and 61 points. Not too shabby for a throw-in.
What Does the Future Hold?
From the Flames’ standpoint, Kuzmenko finding his groove is a total win-win. Ultimately, he is 28 years old and could become a big piece of the Conroy-dubbed “re-tool on the fly” taking place. There is the potential that he re-signs with the Flames on a more cost-efficient deal. On the other hand, his two-year extension signed with the Canucks ends after the upcoming 2024-25 season, and should his trade value continue to rise, the franchise could take advantage and acquire more much-needed future assets. This would be a tall task, as Kuzmenko has a modified no-trade clause in which he submits a list of 12 teams he cannot be sent to. “Kuzy” certainly has established himself within the locker room and has endeared himself to the Flames faithful with his shamelessly bubbly personality (from ‘‘He’s blown us away’: Andrei Kuzmenko already a locker-room fave with Flames’, Calgary Herald, Feb. 15, 2024). Shipping him out may ruffle some feathers, but trades are a part of the business.
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In the end, we hope Kuzmenko can continue this torrid pace and keep proving his critics wrong. The Lindholm trade was already seen as a massive win for Conroy and the Flames before Kuzmenko turned it on. It can be hard for anyone in professional sports to regain self-confidence given the intense atmosphere and pressure on them. The more he produces, the sillier the “cap dump” moniker becomes and the better the Flames get, either by flipping Kuzmenko or embracing him as part of their re-tool.
