The Canucks winger has been relegated to the fourth line in recent games.
The big question surrounding the Vancouver Canucks right now is what to do with Andrei Kuzmenko. After scoring 39 goals last season, the winger has just four through his first 25 games of the year and has already been a healthy scratch multiple times. Something needs to change, as neither side seems happy with the situation.
One possibility could be a trade, as Elliotte Friedman reported on Hockey Night in Canada. In his report, Friedman mentioned that the Canucks have received calls from teams around the league about Kuzemnko. As pointed out, though, his high cap hit of $5.5 million, plus his 12-team no-trade list, could cause issues if Vancouver does move forward with a trade.
While a trade may be the best option right now, the problem is that the Canucks do not want to just give him away for pennies on the dollar. As mentioned, this is a player who almost hit 40 goals last season and has shown that he can be productive in Vancouver under head coach Rick Tocchet. This makes the situation even more complicated as the Canucks need to decide if moving him is the best option, even if it means not receiving full value in return.
The other option is for Vancouver to continue working with Kuzmenko to find a solution. Despite being on the fourth line, he still gets chances as part of the first unit power play. The problem is, he can't capitalize as he has failed to register a point on the man advantage over his last nine games. While it is a positive sign that Tocchet and his coaching staff are giving the winger chances to show off his offensive skill, if he can't produce, he may once again find his spot on the top unit filled by someone else.
As for right now, Kuzmenko remains a Canuck, meaning that the two sides need to make this relationship work. Whether that is more practice time or video work, Vancouver's coaching staff needs to continue working with him to try and turn his game around. Everyone knows just how dangerous he can be with the puck on his stick; now it is a matter of him regaining his form over the next few games.