After a few inconsistent seasons, Andrei Kuzmenko found success with the Los Angeles Kings down the stretch after they traded for him at the trade deadline. The Kings would be the third team that Kuzmenko played on this past season after the Calgary Flames traded him to Philadelphia before the Flyers traded him to the Kings about a month later.
Kuzmenko would appear in 22 regular-season games for the Kings and finished with five goals and 12 assists. He would also add in three goals (all power-play goals) and three assists in six playoff games against the Oilers.
It was a bit of a slow start for Kuzmenko but also somewhat expected for a player joining a new team during the season where practice time was limited. In fact, he would have no points through the first seven games so after that initial stretch, Kuzmenko averaged over a point per game between the regular season and playoffs.
On Wednesday, general manager Ken Holland said the fact that Jim Hiller remained committed to Kuzmenko after the slow start meant a lot to him, according to Zach Dooley.
Andrei Kuzmenko and LA Kings both looking for a short-term deal this summer
According to Zach Dooley, Kuzmenko and the Kings have been discussing a new contract, and it appears the two sides are aligned on the term as both want a short-term deal. This makes a great deal of sense and seems like a deal that could get done sooner rather than later.
While Kuzmenko played well, it was only 22 games, and if he can produce like this over a full season or two, he could set himself up for a much bigger contract. The fact that the salary cap is only going up could help him when it is time for that next contract.
Meanwhile, the Kings minimize the risk with a short-term deal because Kuzmenko did play really well on the top line with Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. It would be interesting to see if he were to remain there depending on what other moves are done but certainly wouldn't be a bad option.
At this point, with the recent news about Vladislav Gavrikov, it wouldn't be surprising if Kuzmenko is the player to re-sign with the Los Angeles Kings over the next few days.