SKA forward Andrei Kuzmenko has not played in the NHL yet, but has already made a splash in the player market. According to the agent, almost all league clubs claimed the Russian. His client had only to choose, and Kuzmenko decided to settle in Vancouver.

What fate awaits the forward overseas?

“It was Kucherov who found Kuzmenko”

Unlike the Russians who were selected in the first round of the NHL Draft, for example, Valery Nichushkin and Ivan Provorov, Kuzmenko, at 18, was not in the sight of hockey managers, so none of the overseas teams were interested. But he attracted the attention of another person, whose expert assessment is beyond doubt.

According to the player’s agent Dan Milstein, the 18-year-old striker was noticed by Nikita Kucherov, his other client.

“There was a moment when Kuzmenko could have chosen any NHL club in the rookie draft, but no one chose,” the agent recalled in a conversation with Match TV. – Two months later, Nikita Kucherov watched the CSKA pre-season game and called me, excitedly telling me that he saw a very talented guy. It was Kucherov who found Kuzmenko. He was the chief scout. After that, we started working with Andrey.

Most Desirable Hockey Player Outside the NHL

In that season, before the start of which Kucherov drew attention to Kuzmenko, the young striker only showed promise and played in the youth team of CSKA – Red Army, and at the base he got little chance. Until the 2018/19 season, he hung out between the MHL, KHL and VHL until he was traded to SKA, where they made a bet on him. In the first year as part of the Petersburgers, Kuzmenko scored 31 points – his best result in his career, and then only improved his statistics until he became the second KHL scorer after Vadim Shipachev last season.

If the 35-year-old Dynamo player, whose career overseas was short-lived, is no longer interesting to the North American market, then 26-year-old Kuzmenko has become the most desirable hockey player in the NHL in a matter of months: he plays well at the boards, has good skating and ice vision. And the fact that he was not selected in the draft opened up incredible prospects for the hockey player. Just keep getting offers!

New Bure?

After talking with all potential employers, Kuzmenko made a completely logical choice in favor of Vancouver, which expressed incredible interest in the player. The Canucks made no secret of the fact that they see the Russian as a hockey player who can improve the team’s game in the long run. This is especially important for the striker, who can only sign a contract for one season so far, but would like to get guarantees of long-term cooperation. In addition, in Vancouver, Kuzmenko has a high chance of gaining a foothold in the first two links and the majority brigade: in the last component in the club itself, high hopes are pinned on the Russian.

Technically, Kuzmenko won’t be able to sign with the Canucks until July, but even the staged photo with pen and paper left hockey fans in awe. Coincidentally, the Russian will play in Vancouver … under the 96th number.

Photo: © Personal archive of Andrey Kuzmenko

This is not only his former playing number in SKA, but also the number under which Pavel Bure played for the Canucks for two seasons. Although he is known for his number 10, the legendary forward initially wanted to play for the Canucks with the number 96 on his back. So he hoped to perpetuate the date of his arrival in North America – September 6, 1991. But Vancouver mentor Pat Quinn was not a fan of big numbers, so Bure was assigned the usual “top ten”, by which he was known on the national team.

In the 1995/96 season, the Russian nevertheless fulfilled his dream and began to play at number 96, but only played 15 matches due to injury. But a year later he proved that the failures had nothing to do with the change of the playing number, scoring 55 points in 63 meetings of the regular season. In general, in Vancouver they still remember not only his “top ten”, but also the jersey with the number 96, and I will expect the appropriate success from his new owner. Kuzmenko, don’t let me down!