Andrei Kuzmenko to begin discussions with NHL clubs next week
After many months of speculation on whether or not he would come to North America, KHL free agent Andrei Kuzmenko will begin discussions with NHL teams next week, according to TSN's Chris Johnston. Johnston added that at least twenty teams will reach out to Kuzmenko and his agent Dan Milstein.
"It begins, yes, in earnest right now. He's ready to start having those conversations next week with NHL teams. And it's thought that there will be 20 teams that will at least reach out with some degree of interest. He and his agent Dan Milstein will work through the options, try to whittle it down to maybe five or six, have follow-up conversations and eventually make a final decision." Johnston said on Tuesday's edition of Insider Trading.
He added, "Kuzmenko was a point-per-game scorer in the KHL. Obviously there is that tremendous amount of interest and the one thing that he's looking for? He wants to go somewhere he can play, where he's going to have a role. He's not fixated so much on a particular city."
He added, "Kuzmenko was a point-per-game scorer in the KHL. Obviously there is that tremendous amount of interest and the one thing that he's looking for? He wants to go somewhere he can play, where he's going to have a role. He's not fixated so much on a particular city."
Kuzmenko, a native of Yakutsk (Russia), had a career year in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg. In 45 regular season games, he put up 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists), ten penalty minutes, and was a plus-fifteen. He continued his strong production into the playoffs, where he had fourteen points (seven goals, seven assists) in sixteen games.
The 26-year-old will be eligible to sign a contract with a National Hockey League club as early as Sunday, May 1st, so expect a decision to be made within the next couple of weeks.
Source: Chris Johnston - Insider Trading.
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