The Flyers now have seven picks within the first two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft. Flyers’ General Manager Danny Briere added to his stockpile following yesterday’s trade. He has the ammo to make one heck of a deal for a Center, in the future. With that being said, just just what a performance by Andrei Kuzmenko in his first game as a Flyer!!!
First things first, Kuzmenko is a native of Yakutsk, Russia. He played in the KHL, and as a matter of fact he played with Matvei Michkov in the 2021-22 season. Kuzmenko stands at 5’11 and weighs 194 pounds. He was originally traded by the Vancouver Canucks to the Calgary Flames in 2024. Kuzmenko, believe it or not, is a former 30+ goal scorer, as he netted 39 goals in the 2022-23 season with the Canucks.
Kuzmenko is a streaky scorer. He doesn’t play a power game, nor he is a penalty killer. Kuzmenko also needs more defensively, especially with the way Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella likes to use his players for their two-way game.
“Very talented, you can see his skill. Good first game for him,” Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella said following the game.
Kuzmenko was all over the ice, as he netted one assist on the first goal of the night for the orange and black. He skated well, and Kuzmenko became the fourth fastest player to register a point in his Flyers debut, per the Flyers.
The 28-year-old in Kuzmenko is a power-play specialist. He’s very good between the face-off dots, and below the hash marks offensively. His stats have fallen off from the 2022-23 season, as he only has four goals and 11 assists on the season in just 37 games played.
Kuzmenko skated a clean slate with the orange and black. He was fast and one could sense his skill with the way he created offense last night against Pittsburgh. Kuzmenko threads the needle with beautiful passes, maybe he’s benefitting from a change of scenery.
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