This Penguins forward has the potential to have an Anthony Mantha-like season.
Last off-season, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed winger Anthony Mantha to a one-year, prove-it deal. This move certainly paid off for Pittsburgh, as the 6-foot-5 winger set new career highs with 33 goals, 31 assists, and 65 points in 81 games. He also played a role in Pittsburgh getting into the playoffs.
While Mantha had a very good year for the Penguins, they decided not to re-sign him. Although this is the case, they did bring in an interesting winger to replace him in Andrei Kuzmenko.
The Penguins signed Kuzmenko to a one-year, $5 million contract earlier this off-season. This comes after he posted 13 goals, 12 assists, and 25 points in 52 games last season with the Los Angeles Kings.
Overall, Kuzmenko had a decent year offensively for the Kings, but there is reason to believe that he could be another success story for the Penguins next season, just like Mantha was in 2025-26.
Kuzmenko has shown at points during his career that he can produce like a true top-six winger. During his rookie year with the Vancouver Canucks, he posted 39 goals, 35 assists, and 74 points in 81 games. He also recorded 14 goals and 25 points in 29 games with the Calgary Flames during the 2023-24 season after being acquired from Vancouver mid-season. He posted 17 points in 22 games with the Kings when they acquired him from the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2024-25 campaign as well.
With numbers like these, Kuzmenko has undoubtedly had some success in the NHL. With this, it would not be surprising if he puts up good numbers for the Penguins next season. He tends to have strong starts when he joins new teams, and that could end up being the case with Pittsburgh.
It will be interesting to see how well Kuzmenko performs for the Penguins next season. He certainly has the chance to be Pittsburgh's next Mantha.
