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Friedman Believes Capitals Interested In Canucks’ Kuzmenko


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Tocc is teaching Kuz a lesson.

 

He came in here at the beginning of the year acting like a rock star because he scored 39 goals riding on Petey's shirt tails.

 

He is being shown that whoever plays with Petey gets goals and points, Laffer now Suter.

 

So learn to play the way the coach wants or you can sit.

 

It's a lot easier to do when you are winning of course.

 

GCG

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8 minutes ago, canucks curse said:

Kuz is a 40 goal scorer 

top line player 

pp1

decebt cap hit 

in prime 

if he can’t fit here - we need a legit asset back 

 

I would accept Mantha + Cristall as the asset to receive Kuz and take on Mantha 

then try to flip Mantha with retention 


Mantha is not a player that will fit in Tocchets system either and I doubt any playoff team will have interest.

 

Would rather get straight futures and use them to acquire a player we actually need

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When Kuzmenko was interviewed before, several games ago when he was benched. He was very uncomfortable dealing with the media, but kept saying he knows what the coach wants, and "it's easy". 

 

I guess it's not so easy for him, because he hasn't really changed his game. He's very skilled, but maybe it's just not in his DNA to play the way this team needs (like Goldobin). 

 

to WAS - Kuzmenko

to VAN - Mantha, 2nd and 4th (2025)

 

Suter - Pettersson - Mikheyev

Hoglander - Miller - Boeser

Joshua - Blueger - Garland

Lafferty - Aman - Mantha

Di Giuseppe

 

2025 Picks

1st

2nd

2nd

4th

4th

5th

6th

7th

 

Let Mantha walk after the season to free up his cap 

 

 

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3 hours ago, DeNiro said:


Mantha is not a player that will fit in Tocchets system either and I doubt any playoff team will have interest.

 

Would rather get straight futures and use them to acquire a player we actually need

Agreed. Mantha is trash. Only way I would be into it is if Mantha is immediately traded, or a threeway deal. 

Edited by Rekker
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3 minutes ago, Nucker67 said:

When Kuzmenko was interviewed before, several games ago when he was benched. He was very uncomfortable dealing with the media, but kept saying he knows what the coach wants, and "it's easy". 

 

I guess it's not so easy for him, because he hasn't really changed his game. He's very skilled, but maybe it's just not in his DNA to play the way this team needs (like Goldobin). 

 

to WAS - Kuzmenko

to VAN - Mantha, 2nd and 4th (2025)

 

Suter - Pettersson - Mikheyev

Hoglander - Miller - Boeser

Joshua - Blueger - Garland

Lafferty - Aman - Mantha

Di Giuseppe

 

2025 Picks

1st

2nd

2nd

4th

4th

5th

6th

7th

 

Let Mantha walk after the season to free up his cap 

 

 


Mantha would be in the pressbox here.

 

They’re trying to win this season. There’s no way they trade for a player that also doesn’t forecheck.

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10 minutes ago, Frozen Water Walker said:

Tocc is teaching Kuz a lesson.

 

He came in here at the beginning of the year acting like a rock star because he scored 39 goals riding on Petey's shirt tails.

 

He is being shown that whoever plays with Petey gets goals and points, Laffer now Suter.

 

So learn to play the way the coach wants or you can sit.

 

It's a lot easier to do when you are winning of course.

 

GCG

 That's your take on it and that's fine by me.

 

I think Kuzy is a gifted goalscorer, who has never been expected to play a defensive game.  We have seen

this scenario in the past, where KHL players come to the NHL and struggle mightily because they have

never had any training in the defensive aspects of the game. Some of these guys return to Russia, while

others struggle to learn the 2-way NHL game (with varied success).

 

I'm not terribly hopeful that Kuzy will make the changes that we are all hoping for.  If he was a young

player in his sophomore year, the expectation for success would be high; but at 27yrs it is far more

difficult to re-learn the game.  It's not like Kuzy can be sent down to a lesser league to develop

his game at a more reasonable pace.

 

Still, he has a crazy talent for potting goals; far better than Gusev, (who had a similar projection, but

not quite the skill level).  If he is unable to reach the level that Tocc is expecting, Kuzy might have better

success with a 'run and gun' style of play.

 

 

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Kuzmenko currently has 6-11-17 in 29 games, which isn't awful, but below the standards he set last year. I say unless we get a significant overpayment let him figure it out. As others have said, his goal scoring abilities will be key down the stretch. 

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3 hours ago, King Heffy said:

I still think management would be better off keeping the 30 goal scorer instead of the convicted criminal behind the bench.  Sadly, no one in the front office is professional enough to realize how much damage Tocchet's character issues are causing.  Letting this dirtbag actively sabotage Kuz's career is insane.

CanuckFanForever, is that you? 😆

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Washington can trade Mantha to Chicago as a cap dump for their 2024 3rd round pick.  They can then trade for Kuzmenko and give us their 2025 2nd round pick.  We then have $5.5 million in cap space freed up plus that second round pick to go shopping for a forward.  I already proposed my deal for Buchnevich, he would be the ideal winger for Petey...

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1 hour ago, Frozen Water Walker said:

Tocc is teaching Kuz a lesson.

 

He came in here at the beginning of the year acting like a rock star because he scored 39 goals riding on Petey's shirt tails.

 

He is being shown that whoever plays with Petey gets goals and points, Laffer now Suter.

 

So learn to play the way the coach wants or you can sit.

 

It's a lot easier to do when you are winning of course.

 

GCG

 

Lafferty did so well and scored so many points with Petey that he was demoted to the 4th line again and may be a healthy scratch tomorrow.  Suter has one goal playing with Petey, oh my.  Only 38 more to catch up to Kuzmenko.

 

Lafferty, Suter, whoever else they put up with Petey, is just a short term solution.  At the end of the day, Petey needs a winger who can score 30+ goals in the NHL.  Kuzmenko is that guy.  Hopefully he learns to forecheck.  If not, then we need to trade him for someone who does know how to forecheck and can also put up 30 goals.

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Given that Kuzmenko's worked hard to get where he's at, I think it could be a mistake to trade him at this point. He strikes me as one who could feasibly figure things out.

 

However, as others have already stated, we'd likely get good value for him in a trade and I do like how this management team doesn't seem to get too attached on players. Benning's attachment to certain players (including ones we didn't have and probably shouldn't have sought after *cough* OEL *cough*) was ultimately his downfall in my opinion.

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3 hours ago, King Heffy said:

I still think management would be better off keeping the 30 goal scorer instead of the convicted criminal behind the bench.  Sadly, no one in the front office is professional enough to realize how much damage Tocchet's character issues are causing.  Letting this dirtbag actively sabotage Kuz's career is insane.

 

I also hate winning, bring us Woodcroft. 

 

Animated GIF

 

 

 

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I trust the coaching and development staff to determine what's best for the Canucks, and whether it's even possible to have Kuzmenko re-learn the game. I also trust Allvin to make a good trade if that's what they do. Been a long time since I felt trust in these groups.

 

Even this season, the winning and success. A part of me felt before that the floor was going to drop out and the Canucks would be back to playing disorganized chaotic hockey, and piling up losses. But that hasn't happened at all. This team seems to be for real. They also have 1A and 1B goalies. Huge.

 

I really think they're only 1 power forward winger away from competing for that big shiny trophy.

 

Kuzmenko for that guy

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44 minutes ago, WHL rocks said:

Suter is not a permanent solution on Peteys line as a winger..

 

For this team to have ultimate success Suter needs to play C. We need EP Miller Suter Bleuger down the middle. Depth at C is what wins in playoffs along with D.

 

 

 

C depth is better than it has been in quite some time even though the Canucks had EP, JT and Horvat last year. Good to see.

 

EP, JT, Suter, Blueger, Aman, Lafferty

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4 hours ago, Tofu_Bud said:

 

He was a PP ace last season for sure. When Miller was on the half wall, he set up Kuzy a bunch.

 

Under Boudreau he was scoring electric goals and some good stuff around the net.

 

Unfortunately the PP has shifted somewhat this year.

 

He’s not getting as many second chance around the net this year but more importantly, I think Tocchett doesnt like that he isnt helping to generate much either.  

 

If he was generating chances or at least showing signs of driving play I think people would be more understanding of the funk he is in.

 

That recent 5 on 5 stat about shots against is a revealing concern imo

 

Yeah Drance said something similar a few days back. Still it's shocking how big the drop off is 

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