The Los Angeles Kings would trade for Andrei Kuzmenko right before the NHL Trade Deadline in a move that didn't seem like it would make much of a difference. However, that wasn't the case and Kuzmenko played well enough that the Kings have a tough decision on whether or not they let him walk in free agency.
Kuzmenko had an excellent rookie season with the Vancouver Canucks in 2022-23 when he would have 39 goals and 35 assists. However, he didn't make much of an impact the next few seasons and the trade to the Los Angeles Kings would be the third time he had been traded over a two year span and the second time in a little over a month.
It was surprising how well Kuzmenko fit on this team and the impact he made, particularly on the team's power play unit. In 22 regular season games, Kuzmenko would have five goals and 12 assists (including five power-play assists) after only six goals and 14 assists in the previous 44 games between the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers.
Kuzmenko continued the strong play into the playoffs and in six games had three goals, all power play goals, and three assists.
Grade for Andrei Kuzmenko's 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Kings: A-
The addition of Kuzmenko addressed two big issues the Kings had for most of the season and that was who played on the top line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe, along with the power play unit. He was able to step into both almost immediately and made a positive impact.
It is tough for a player to do that during the season with limited practice, and Kuzmenko certainly deserves credit for how seamless the transition was. The Kings definitely need to explore what a new deal might look like this summer for Kuzmenko and if a new contract can be agreed upon, Kuzmenko could have an even better season with a full offseason with the Kings.