Canucks to try to re-sign Kuzmenko amid trade interest
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While rookie Andrei Kuzmenko is drawing trade interest, the Vancouver Canucks first priority will be to try to re-sign the 26-year-old forward.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports the Canucks are expected to open contract talks soon with Kuzmenko, who could earn more than $6 million on a bridge contract.
"There haven’t been any contract negotiations, although the expectation is that should happen within the month here. But what’s interesting, of course, is that teams are calling," LeBrun said Tuesday on Insider Trading. "Why wouldn’t they be? He’s got a cheap cap hit. Teams that are going for it, that are a contender, have almost no cap room – he would fit the bill both in terms of what he can do offensively and the fact he doesn’t take up a lot of room on the cap.
"But for now, the Canucks aren’t even sure they want to move him. They want to try and see if they can sign him. I think the price starts at at least $6 million per year on a bridge deal for Kuzmenko to stay in Vancouver, where, by all accounts, he is quite happy."
Kuzmenko, who joined the Canucks from the KHL in the off-season, has 17 goals and 35 points in 39 games this season. He is a pending unrestricted free agent, carrying a cap hit of just $950,000 this season.
Kuzmenko sits tied for third on the Canucks in scoring this season, equal with J.T. Miller and behind only All-Star Elias Pettersson and fellow pending unrestricted free agent Bo Horvat.
With a 5-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, the Canucks dropped to 17-20-3 on the season, eight points back of a playoff spot.
If the season ended today, the Canucks would have the seventh-best lottery odds at 6.5 per cent.