Things have not gone well for the Carolina Hurricanes. The road trip out to Western Canada did not provide the results that everyone wanted. During the four-game stretch, the Hurricanes went 0-4 and got outscored 15-7. Frustration has set in and adversity is evident with this current group.
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour did not hold back when speaking up about their play, as evidenced by his mid-game interview against the Edmonton Oilers. Also, the players held a players-only meeting after their game against the Vancouver Canucks. It is a long 82-game season and it is good that the kinks in the hose are happening now rather than later. However, the players and the coaches know this team can be better and should be better.
If the players-only meeting doesn’t spurn instant results, general manager Don Waddell needs to make a move. One player that is being called about is Canucks’ Andrei Kuzmenko. He is an intriguing player and could bring upside to the Hurricanes.
Teams Are Calling About Kuzmenko
On the Saturday night headlines, Elliotte Friedman discussed that teams have been calling about Kuzmenko. Vancouver has already begun to make moves, starting with the big acquisition of Nikita Zadorov. However, the team is tight against the salary cap and making any other additions will be difficult. Other teams around the league will pounce at the opportunity to acquire a player that can provide them with a boost. That player is Kuzmenko.
Related: Hurricanes’ Kotkaniemi Reflecting Team’s Inconsistencies With Slump
Kuzmenko has one more year beyond this one and has a salary cap hit of $5.5 million. His sample size is small but he was an effective player for the Canucks during the 2022-23 season. If given the opportunity, he could be an X-factor. For the Hurricanes, this is a player they should inquire about.
Inquiring About Kuzmenko is Worth it For Carolina
Every team has its flaws and holes in the roster. There are two courses of action they can take. Either find a way to dig deep and improve or go out and make the roster better to fill those glaring holes. For the Hurricanes, the big issue has always been goal scoring and adding more proven scorers. During the 2022-23 season, they were a high-octane offense and were great when possessing the puck. However, the inability to finish and capitalize on chances was poor, as they finished with minus-31.14 goals scored above expected. It improved during the playoffs but is still an area of need. This season, the finishing ability has improved, as the Hurricanes have minus-2.31 goals scored above expected. That is precisely where Kuzmenko comes in.
It is great to see Teuvo Teravainen bounce back the way he is. Given all the injuries he sustained last season, seeing him lead the team in goals (11) is a huge sigh of relief. However, he is the only player to have more than ten goals this season and adding more punch up front is a wise decision. Kuzmenko is a superb talent and was sensational for the Canucks last season.
After landing the contract with the Canucks, Kuzmenko wasted no time being a weapon offensively. In 81 games played, he scored 39 goals and 74 points. Ironically, both of these totals would’ve placed him first on the Hurricanes last season. He is a tremendous player and has a nose for the net. Kuzmenko can play in many situations, which would be great for Brind’Amour when he deploys his lines. Kuzmenko was great on the power play, scoring 14 goals and 19 points. The power play has been a struggle for the Hurricanes and having an offensive weapon that can help with the man advantage would be huge. During the 2022-23 season, the power play ranked 20th (19.8% success rate) and has slightly increased to a 20.7% success rate this season.
His impacts go beyond the simple statistics. During the 2022-23 season, he was the Canucks’ most impactful forward. Kuzmenko ranked second in Corsi for percentage (CF%) and helped his team possess the puck. Vancouver had a strong shot differential with him on the ice and was outscoring opponents 64-47 at 5v5. Furthermore, he was second among forwards in expected goals (46.39) and was instrumental in the team’s success offensively.
Kuzmenko is a player that would make sense for the Hurricanes in the short and long term. But how can they fit him into the fold?
Fitting Kuzmenko In is Tricky but Not Impossible
Inquiring about a player is always thrilling but being able to facilitate a trade is an entirely different story. As it stands, the Hurricanes have $1.8 million in available cap space. Mathematically, adding Kuzmenko and his $5.5 million is only ideal if money is going out the door. So who could potentially be a fit to leave Raleigh?
The obvious name is Tony DeAngelo, who is reportedly on the trade block. Moving him and his entire salary saves the team $1.675 million, which would give the Hurricanes $3.4 million in space. This could help them convince Vancouver to retain some salary.
The Hurricanes have numerous players on expiring contracts but with Stanley Cup hopes on the horizon, dismantling the roster in this type of move is unlikely. Kuzmenko has one more year beyond this one, so the club could opt to pay extra in draft compensation to entice Vancouver to retain salary. This could be a challenge financially, but as we saw at last year’s trade deadline, any deal is possible to make.
Acquiring Kuzmenko Fills a Need
There is no shortage of weapons on the top two lines for the Hurricanes. Sebastian Aho is one of the best two-way players in the league and Teravainen and Jarvis are having bounce-back campaigns. Martin Necas has picked up where he left off and is producing like he was last season, with seven goals and 19 points. Overall, the Hurricanes have immense depth, as they have 12 players with more than ten points.
One big concern is the health of Andrei Svechnikov. He has been near a point-per-game player since returning from his torn ACL injury but has also seen time out of the lineup. However, he has one goal to begin the season. Adding a player like Kuzmenko would go a long way to solving the scoring woes.
Kuzmenko has not played more than 15 minutes in a game since the end of November. He played ten minutes against the Hurricanes and that’s an alarming concern. He currently has four goals and 15 points and with increased ice time could add to those totals. If Waddell is looking for added depth, Kuzmenko is a good place to start.