Trade for 39-Goal Scorer Makes Short-Term Sense for Senators


As the NHL Trade Deadline looms, one name has drawn almost no attention. However, he might be a good pickup for a team that lacks scoring. That’s Calgary Flames winger Andrei Kuzmenko. He’s shown that he can score goals in past seasons, but not so much this season. This season has been more than a bit of a rollercoaster.

Despite a promising 39-goal campaign in 2022-23, Kuzmenko’s production has slowed to a drizzle of what it once was. He has put up just four goals and 14 points in 35 games this season. He’s struggled with a lower-body injury. And over the long term, no team will gladly pay his salary cap hit of $5.5 million. But, thinking in the short-term, that would hardly matter.

Would the Senators Be Willing to Take a Chance on Kuzmenko?

However, if Dayton Reimer is correct, the Ottawa Senators could be willing to take a chance on the 28-year-old winger, even if the price is only a lower-round pick. The Senators rank 24th in the league in prospect depth. They need scoring. That’s particularly true with star players like Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk battling through slumps. Kuzmenko could be a short-term solution. He’ll never drive a line by himself. However, he has a deadly shot and knows where to stand on the ice to score. These qualities could complement Ottawa’s existing forward unit. They could also reignite his confidence after a rough start to the season.

Kuzmenko has an odd fan in Hockey Night in Canada panelist Kelly Hrudy. Hrudy sees tons of Flames games and noted that one quality Kuzmenko has is that he’s not easily discouraged. That fact and his ability to put the puck in the net suggest that a short-term rental arrangement might work. The Senators are far from assured of making the postseason, but they do have a chance if they can score more goals.

Kuzmenko Is a Gamble, But What Would the Senators Lose?

Kuzmenko is a gamble. Still, he’d be cheap enough. He would be a low-risk (short-term) and potentially high-reward (short-term) player. A move to Ottawa would offer him a fresh start and a chance for the Sens to bolster their depth scoring without committing to a significant salary. The cap space they’ve freed up this year could make it possible to take on Kuzmenko’s contract at the end of the season. It seems pretty clear that the Flames would dump him, and if he landed in the Eastern Conference, all the better.





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