Vancouver Canucks winger Andrei Kuzmenko is confronting a challenging season, despite coming off an impressive 74-point performance that earned him a two-year $11 million contract. His output has seen a downturn, with only 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 21 games, leading to him being benched twice as a healthy scratch. Additionally, Kuzmenko is dealing with a facial injury caused by teammate JT Miller’s deflected shot during Wednesday's game against the New York Islanders, which has temporarily sidelined him from the lineup as a precautionary measure.
Struggling to Find Form
Kuzmenko's struggles were apparent in Thursday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights at Rogers Arena, where he managed to score a solitary goal. The play unfolded as Miller took advantage of a loose puck, driving to the net and delivering a pass to Kuzmenko, who then snapped 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, indicating his understanding of the need for improvement given his limited ice time this season. "I need to be better; this I understand."
The top line, featuring Kuzmenko, Ilia Mikheyev, and Elias Pettersson, has not matched the scoring prowess or overall play of their second-line counterparts thus far into the NHL's first quarter. Pettersson, the center for the Canucks, has tallied 30 points with nine goals and 21 assists, while right winger Mikheyev has contributed 12 points with seven goals and five assists.
Coach Tocchet's Expectations
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet is calling for greater effort and productivity from Kuzmenko, describing his current season's performance as just "OK" and encouraging him to "play a little harder." Tocchet made the decision to bench the winger 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 been clear about what he expects from Kuzmenko: increased intensity in puck battles along the boards and 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 loss to Vegas, Kuzmenko's third-period performance drew praise from Tocchet, who noted the winger's focused play. "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 acknowledges the high expectations his coach has set and is committed to improving. He is cognizant of the statistical slump, particularly his four-goal tally for the year, and remains dedicated to contributing to the team's success.
The winger also addressed questions about his mentality during the extended goal drought that lasted nearly the entire month of 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."
Looking ahead, Kuzmenko is eager to build upon Thursday's performance in the upcoming matchup against the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
In the competitive landscape of the NHL, where performance is paramount, Kuzmenko's ability to bounce back from this period of adversity will be critical not just for his career but also for the Vancouver Canucks' aspirations this season. As the team navigates through the challenges ahead, all eyes will be on Kuzmenko to see if he can return to the form that secured him his lucrative contract.