Andre Kuzmenko has been out for over a month and a half due to tearing his meniscus and is now cleared to travel with the team for the upcoming playoff game against the Avalanche.
Andrei Kuzmenko hasn't been on the Kings' bench since tearing his meniscus on Feb. 25 against the Vegas Golden Knights. While the initial fear was that he would likely be out for the rest of the season, Kuzmenko remains skating on his own but not yet with the full team. He is being re-evaluated regularly, with a possible return to action by the end of April or beginning of May if the Kings can extend their season.
According to a report from Zach Dooley of the Los Angeles Kings, Kuzmenko has been cleared to travel with the Kings to Colorado, where they'll begin their first-round playoff series on Sunday afternoon.
Not only is Kuzmenko cleared to travel with the Kings, but so are Jeff Malott and Alex Turcotte, who have been sidelined since the beginning of April. No report listed when Malott and Turcotte are expected to take action in the playoffs.
As for Kuzmenko, he has been a vital piece for the Kings this season. Before going down, the forward had 13 goals, 12 assists, and 25 points in 52 games. Los Angeles could really use another offensive piece in their series against the powerhouse Avalanche, who are going to be tough to beat with LA shorthanded.
The 30-year-old has played in the last two playoff series with the Kings, against the Edmonton Oilers, in 2023 and 2024, respectively. So, Kuzmenko has the experience the Kings could use, already missing Kevin Fiala, another vital piece of their forward group. Kuzmenko could provide a spark in the Kings' lineup if he returns soon in this series.
A further update on Kuzmenko, Malott, and Turcotte's availability is likely to come in the next few days of the Kings-Avalanche series.
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