Kuzmenko Signs Two Year, $11 Million Extension

The Vancouver Canucks announced Thursday that they signed rookie forward Andrei Kuzmenko to a two-year, $11 million extension. The 26-year old is in his first NHL season after spending the last eight playing in the KHL in Russia.

Kuzmenko was a sought after player over the summer, as many teams lined up to try and acquire his services following his 20 goal, 33 assist season in what would be his final in Russia. The Canucks ultimately won the bidding war, signing Kuzmenko to a one year year entry level contract that would have allowed the forward to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. When asked about Kuzmenko, Canucks GM Patrik Alvin stated “Andrei is a player we worked extremely hard to recruit last summer. He has been an excellent fit for our forward group this season, transitioning very well to the North American style of play. His passion and enthusiasm for the game has made a positive impact in the dressing room among his teammates and we are excite to watch him continue his career with the Vancouver Canucks.”

Kuzmenko is currently third on the team in points with 43, and second on the team with 21. The Canucks look like a team that could be major sellers at the trade deadline, and if that’s the case, they hope the extension given to Kuzmenko will allow him to serve as a building block during what looks to be a potential rebuild.