When the Calgary Flames acquired Andrei Kuzmenko from the Elias Lindholm trade, he was widely considered a cap dump who no longer fit in the Vancouver Canucks’ system. Once Kuzmenko arrived in Calgary, the game came back, scoring at a 40-goal pace and instantly becoming a favourite among Flames fans. He’s been so liked by fans that some people have been expressing ideas for a potential contract extension, but those conversations seem to have gone quiet as of recently…
While there’s no doubt that Kuzmenko is skilled, consistency seems to be his biggest weakness. Even before he got traded to Calgary, Kuzmenko couldn’t replicate the success he had during his rookie season, which resulted in him being the odd man out on a very good Vancouver Canucks team.
People argued that the changes in the coaching system were the major reason why Kuzmenko struggled with the Canucks, and maybe they were partially correct. However, this season, we’re already seeing Kuzmenko get that same treatment from the Flames’ coaching staff, and the common denominator has been himself.
The Flames have given Kuzmenko a pretty big wake-up call
During the Flames’ exciting 3–0 win versus the New Jersey Devils, fans noticed that Kuzmenko’s ice time dramatically decreased. That’s because Flames head coach Ryan Huska benched him for the second half of the game; he didn’t see ice time for the final 27 minutes. Huska explained his thought process behind this:
He just wasn’t moving his feet all that much tonight, and I thought [Anthony] Mantha was doing a better job of that for us tonight.”
It just goes to show that Huska isn’t joking about the team’s philosophy of rewarding hard work. It doesn’t matter what your status is on this team; if you’re not putting in meaningful effort every night, you’re going to face the consequences for that.
Kuzmenko hasn’t had a terrible start to the season, having seven points in 11 games. However, his biggest asset is his goalscoring, which simply hasn’t been the present for him yet, as he’s only scored a single goal. Slow starts aren’t unheard of, but Kuzmenko’s start is starting to get particularly concerning due to how it’s also a contract year for him.
When Kuzmenko is at his best, I believe he can be a 40-goal scorer in this league. The problem is simply his consistency, and the coaching staff has started to see these issues.
Kuzmenko likely isn’t part of the Flames’ future plans
The writing is on the wall with Kuzmenko being in a contract year. The 28-year-old doesn’t fit into the Flames’ future plans and is likely traded by the trade deadline.
While there have been early season rumors suggesting that Kuzmenko and the Flames were mutually interested in a contract extension, would that really be the smartest move? Debates have popped up all over social media regarding what the Flames should do with Kuzmenko.
For me, the answer is pretty simple. While there’s no doubt that Kuzmenko is beloved among his teammates and fans, hockey is a business at the end of the day. The Flames took on Kuzmenko’s contract as a cap dump, and the best-case scenario would be flipping him near or at the deadline for more assets to aid the rebuild.
However, in order to maximize value, Kuzmenko needs to be playing at a strong level. The season is still young, so there’s lots of time for him to get his game back on track. It’s clear that the Flames aren’t going to tolerate players who they feel exhibit a lack of effort.
