We are now just under a week away from Calgary Flames regular season hockey. The roster is beginning to set in, and we are getting a good sense of what the opening night lineup will look like. This year will not be like a year ago with all the decisions the Flames had to make on players whose contracts were set to expire at the end of the season.
However, one player who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at year’s end has generated some discussion: Andrei Kuzmenko. The question that will be asked for quite a while is whether it makes sense for the Flames to extend him. Well, let’s take a look.
Kuzmenko has been a success story
There is no debate that Kuzmenko has been nothing short of great since becoming a Calgary Flame. He scored in his first game as a Flame, brought an element of excitement that had been missing from the lineup, and above all, he produced. The Flames power play saw a huge boost with Kuzmenko on the top unit and he was extremely dynamic alongside Nazem Kadri, creating a really nice duo up front.
Considering Kuzmenko was a cap dump in the Elias Lindholm trade, he was quite the afterthought when he was brought in. However, he has been a great piece for the Flames regardless of where the Flames are in their rebuild.
Kuzmenko was able to dial the clock back to his rookie year just two seasons ago when he was in Vancouver after the trade, proving that maybe he wasn’t a flash in the pan with the Canucks, he is a legit top-six forward in this league.
Should the Flames extend Kuzmenko?
Now, the big question is, should the Flames trade or sign Kuzmenko? I think it could go either way. As I mentioned above, Kuzmenko in his short time as a Flame has been great. He is a good player on the ice and is quite the charismatic guy off the ice. An extension is certainly worth exploring at the very least.
However, I don’t think the Flames should be extending Kuzmenko, at least not right now. We know where the Flames are, and we know what they are going to be for at least the next few seasons: rebuilding. So, I don’t necessarily think it is the right idea to extend a player that will be turning 29 in February. He just doesn’t fit the window.
That is not even to mention that he will probably be looking for some long-term security in his next deal. The NHL contracts he has signed have been one- and two-year deals, I guarantee he will be looking for something longer-term. That is just not the deal the Flames should be handing out right now.
It also reinforces the logjam they have on the wings. There is not enough room for some of the Flames’ younger players to get into the lineup due to all the veterans locking down spots in the top-nine. The only way to clear up those spots is to trade who you have—Kuzmenko fits the bill as someone they should be exploring with on the trade market. As I mentioned above, he was a throw-in to make the cap space work in the Lindholm trade, with him playing much better, the Flames can leverage him as an asset to bring in more futures. Everything has to be considered here.
Decisions to be made
I know a lot of people are sick of hearing about trading more guys off the roster, and at some point, the Flames will have to begin locking guys in as opposed to moving them. Unfortunately, right now is not the time for that. This is year one of the full teardown, as fans we have to be patient and the management team cannot make any rash decisions.
Trust me, I like Kuzmenko as much as anyone, and maybe if it was a short-term deal at a reasonable price I would be okay with it, but I don’t think that will be the case. At the end of the day, the Flames have to do whatever they can to continue to stockpile assets that will help build toward the future with the young core they have coming. A trade involving Kuzmenko can certainly help with that. Regardless of what happens, I am just excited to get the season underway, it should be an interesting one, to say the least.
