Vancouver Canucks winger Andrei Kuzmenko is candid about the hurdles he's encountering this season. After a remarkable 74-point haul last season, which earned him a two-year, $11 million contract, Kuzmenko is currently battling with a slump in his performance.
With a modest tally of 15 points, comprising four goals and 11 assists in 21 games, Kuzmenko has found himself benched as a healthy scratch on two occasions. Adding to his woes, he recently sustained a facial injury when a shot from teammate JT Miller deflected off his face during Wednesday's game against the New York Islanders. The mishap has temporarily sidelined him from the Canucks' roster as a precautionary measure, though he is expected to make a return shortly.
In the recent clash with the Vegas Golden Knights at Rogers Arena, Kuzmenko managed to score a solitary goal after Miller seized a loose puck, drove towards the net, and delivered a pass that Kuzmenko converted with a wrist shot past Vegas goaltender Logan Thompson. Despite this effort, the Canucks succumbed to a 4-1 defeat.
"It doesn't matter if I scored ... it doesn't matter if my score doesn't help the team," Kuzmenko reflected post-game. "I need to be better, this I understand. That's why I haven't played (as much) this season."
The top line of the Canucks, featuring Kuzmenko, Ilia Mikheyev, and Elias Pettersson, has been overshadowed by their second-line counterparts in terms of scoring and overall play throughout the first quarter of the NHL season. Center Elias Pettersson has notched up 30 points with nine goals and 21 assists. Meanwhile, right winger Ilya Mikheyev has accrued 12 points with seven goals and five assists.
Coach Tocchet's Expectations
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet is calling for an uptick in effort and output from Kuzmenko, characterizing his current season's performance as just "OK" and challenging him to "play a little harder." Tocchet relegated the winger to the bench for back-to-back games against the Seattle Kraken and San Jose Sharks towards the end of November.
"He's got to get his game a little bit more sharpened up," Tocchet remarked on November 27. "It's not about last year; it's about this year for us. And he's a guy that needed a reset."
Tocchet has been explicit about his expectations for Kuzmenko. He wants to see more tenacity in puck battles along the boards and quicker defensive reactions in the neutral zone.
"Those are the little things that I value around here. It's not just about scoring goals. Goal scorers are going to go through slumps," Tocchet explained. "The little things matter. That's part of our staples, and he has to understand that's the Bible for us around here."
Kuzmenko's lone goal and his notable effort in the loss to the Golden Knights have drawn some positive attention. Tocchet expressed satisfaction with the Russian winger's concentrated play, particularly in the third period.
"If you watch his shifts in the third, he was going A to B," Tocchet observed. "He wasn't zigzagging, backward skating defending; he was moving forward."
Aware of the high standards set by his coach, Kuzmenko is determined to improve. He acknowledges the statistical dip in his performance this year and is committed to maintaining focus on contributing to the team's success.
Addressing questions about his mindset during a nearly month-long goal drought in November, Kuzmenko responded with equanimity.
"What interesting questions about mentality. It's an interesting moment for mentality, for personality, for me," Kuzmenko said, smiling. "It's simple with the hard work mentality, work in the gym, it's simple."
Looking ahead, Kuzmenko is keen to build on his latest performance when the Canucks take on the Calgary Flames on Saturday.