April 18, 2022 by Eric Friesen

Per Mikhail Zislis of sport-express.ru, the Edmonton Oilers are the favourites to land coveted KHL star forward Andrei Kuzmenko.

Kuzmenko, who has played eight seasons in the KHL, is looking to make the jump to the NHL in 2022-23. Corey Pronman of The Athletic recently ranked Kuzmenko as the top free agent outside of the NHL.

“Kuzmenko has been one of the top forwards in the KHL this season. He’s been on the NHL radar for several years, and with his KHL contract with SKA now up at the end of the season there will be a lot of interest. Kuzmenko has a very high skill level, being able to beat KHL defenders with his one-on-on play often and create many highlight reel moments. He can make creative passes and improvises well in tight areas. He has the flashy skill but also plays hard, and despite his 5-foot-11 frame doesn’t shy from creating around the net and attacking the high percentage areas. On top of his frame, Kuzmenko lacks the speed you’d like to see especially in a smaller forward, but the rest of his game is so good that I think he can be a middle six wing in the NHL.” – Corey Pronman (February 23, 2022)

Ready for the NHL

Kuzmenko was first NHL draft eligible in 2014 (ranked 26th among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting), but his name was never called during that June’s selection process. Undeterred by this setback, Kuzmenko made his KHL debut with CSKA Moscow at age 18 in 2014-15.

In his fourth KHL season, Kuzmenko had an offensive breakthrough, putting up more points than in his first three seasons combined. And while there were reportedly 24 NHL teams interested in signing him in 2018, Kuzmenko opted to stay in Russia and ink a four-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg.

The Yakutsk, Russia native finished tied for seventh in the KHL in goals (20), tied for third in assists (33) and second in points (53) in 45 games in 2021-22. Kuzmenko has 85 goals and 200 points in 315 career KHL games, and helped CSKA Moscow reach the Gagarin Cup final in 2016 and 2018.

Interestingly, Kuzmenko had a higher points-per-game this season (1.18) than Russian superstars Artemi Panarin (1.15) and Kirill Kaprizov (1.09) in their final KHL seasons before coming over to North America. However, Kuzmenko is also three years older than Panarin and Kaprizov each were when they last played in the KHL.

No one should expect Kuzmenko to be as productive as either of them when he arrives in the NHL, but his numbers indicate that he should be able to contribute in a meaningful way.

Oilers would be a great fit for Kuzmenko

With limited cap space to work with, General Manager Ken Holland needs to find skilled players on a affordable deals to fill out the lineup. Kuzmenko will likely sign a cheap, one-year, entry-level contract, and look to sign a bigger ticket in the summer of 2023 if he performs well in his first NHL campaign.

Kuzmenko is represented by Dan Milstein, who is also Evander Kane’s agent. Holland and Milstein have done business together for years, which only increases the likelihood that the Oilers will sign Kuzmenko when his KHL contract expires on May 1.

The Oilers can also offer Kuzmenko something that no other NHL team can – the opportunity to play with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Kuzmenko shoots right, but he can play either wing. Playing with a superstar centre like McDavid or Draisaitl would give him the best possible chance to succeed in the NHL.

There’s no guarantee Kuzmenko would play in the top-six, but he would have every opportunity to steal a job in training camp. The 26-year-old is now in his prime, and the right age to fit in with the Edmonton’s core players, as they push toward their ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup.