Elliotte Friedman on Kuzmenko and Canucks trade targets
Hockey Night in Canada Insider Elliotte Friedman joined the guys and talked about a possible location that might fit for Andrei Kuzmenko and which players the Canucks might be targeting.
In general, trading Kuzmenko I think could be a huge mistake. Having said that, you have to look at every trade option and see how it can help the overall team. Trading Bo Horvat in general might not have been a good idea, but the deal that was made and what the Canucks ultimately got (primarily Hronek) turned out to be fantastic. Anyone can be traded. Wayne Gretzky was traded. It's all about what you get back for the assets that you have. I'm not tied to any one player anymore. I got over that when the 1994 team was basically given away for a bag of pucks. If they're trading him and a high pick or prospect for an older, banged up rental player like Monahan, then we're potentially looking at a Cam Neely Light situation. I don't use that reference lightly, because so far, not even the OEL trade was as bad as giving up Cam Neely and Glen Wesley for a guy with half a shoulder. If a player is available, there's probably a reason. The only way I'd look at a rental option for Kuzmenko and a high pick or prospect is perhaps for a top 4 younger defensive defenseman or Sidney Crosby. You have to have high standards or you're just giving them away.
Did he really just say we had to pay more than most other teams had to for Zadorov? Wasnât it like a 3rd and a 5th? đ Elliotte if thatâs overpaying then I expect us to get Lindholm for a 2nd and a 7th plus Kuzmenko.
Canât see the Canucks being eager to trade Podkolzin. He remains what any team would want – a physical, scoring winger who can skate and who knows where his own end of the ice is. I think the team is retraining him this season because it knows there is a lot there to work with and it wants to be sure he has every chance to succeed.
Trading Kuzmenko makes absolutely no sense, as all we would be doing is looking for a piece to replace him.
If I told you the Canucks traded Kuzmenko for a 27 year old winger who had 39 goals and 74 points last season, but is struggling this season. We would all think thatâs a STEAL.
We already have him. Best to just focus on getting him hot and few weeks before playoffs start, but say adding a Monohan, or Lindholm to see if they click, and then trade Kuzmenko at the draft to recoup back picks/prospects that were lost.
I would prefer to see Mikheyev+1st be in play over Kuzmenko. It's his second NHL season. The list of sophomore slumps is long in the nhl. Give him another year to adapt.
A coach like Tocchet deconstructs and then reconstructs players and Kuzmenko is a sensitive type so reconstruction is taking a long time. But he was amazing with Pettersson before so his perfect winger is hiding in plain sight all this time. You just have to wait until this sophomore slump ends. He might reboot and level up in this year's playoffs because that's a storyline that happens with slumping players sometimes. Moving Kuzmenko there's a big possibility of losing that trade hard because all players slump.
Dream scenario: trade Mikhayev and Kuz; bring in Toffolo and Lindholm at center with Petey on the wing. Tanev for the blue-line depth – sign him for a 2 year/$2m deal
20 Comments
In general, trading Kuzmenko I think could be a huge mistake. Having said that, you have to look at every trade option and see how it can help the overall team. Trading Bo Horvat in general might not have been a good idea, but the deal that was made and what the Canucks ultimately got (primarily Hronek) turned out to be fantastic. Anyone can be traded. Wayne Gretzky was traded. It's all about what you get back for the assets that you have. I'm not tied to any one player anymore. I got over that when the 1994 team was basically given away for a bag of pucks. If they're trading him and a high pick or prospect for an older, banged up rental player like Monahan, then we're potentially looking at a Cam Neely Light situation. I don't use that reference lightly, because so far, not even the OEL trade was as bad as giving up Cam Neely and Glen Wesley for a guy with half a shoulder. If a player is available, there's probably a reason. The only way I'd look at a rental option for Kuzmenko and a high pick or prospect is perhaps for a top 4 younger defensive defenseman or Sidney Crosby. You have to have high standards or you're just giving them away.
How come Elliot is always doing these interviews while hanging upside down? đ€
Friedman isn't a journalist anymore, he exists to carry the NHL's water in exchange for inside information that ultimately doesn't even matter.
Did he really just say we had to pay more than most other teams had to for Zadorov? Wasnât it like a 3rd and a 5th? đ Elliotte if thatâs overpaying then I expect us to get Lindholm for a 2nd and a 7th plus Kuzmenko.
Freid looking like a total slob!
Elliott is Kuz in 10 years
Canât see the Canucks being eager to trade Podkolzin. He remains what any team would want – a physical, scoring winger who can skate and who knows where his own end of the ice is. I think the team is retraining him this season because it knows there is a lot there to work with and it wants to be sure he has every chance to succeed.
Trading Kuzmenko makes absolutely no sense, as all we would be doing is looking for a piece to replace him.
If I told you the Canucks traded Kuzmenko for a 27 year old winger who had 39 goals and 74 points last season, but is struggling this season. We would all think thatâs a STEAL.
We already have him. Best to just focus on getting him hot and few weeks before playoffs start, but say adding a Monohan, or Lindholm to see if they click, and then trade Kuzmenko at the draft to recoup back picks/prospects that were lost.
Keep Kuz… softmore slump and selling low. If you trade him trade him as a 38 goal scorer.
PODZ need to get tocchet to show him the proper way to fight
elliot get off the drugs we stole big Z LOL
I would prefer to see Mikheyev+1st be in play over Kuzmenko. It's his second NHL season. The list of sophomore slumps is long in the nhl. Give him another year to adapt.
Podkolzin is not good…he has minimal coordination and bad hands. Trade him if you can. You can see he has virtually zero fast-switch muscles.
Geezus, Friedman….nice bedhead. lol
Should be motivation for Kuzmenko to forecheck, otherwise he'll be banished to Chicago
If they trade kuzmenko then what's the second line..mihkeyev lindholm and who.. Suter? That doesn't make the second line any better
A coach like Tocchet deconstructs and then reconstructs players and Kuzmenko is a sensitive type so reconstruction is taking a long time. But he was amazing with Pettersson before so his perfect winger is hiding in plain sight all this time. You just have to wait until this sophomore slump ends. He might reboot and level up in this year's playoffs because that's a storyline that happens with slumping players sometimes. Moving Kuzmenko there's a big possibility of losing that trade hard because all players slump.
Dream scenario: trade Mikhayev and Kuz; bring in Toffolo and Lindholm at center with Petey on the wing. Tanev for the blue-line depth – sign him for a 2 year/$2m deal
If Kuzy goes to CHI, what does VAN get in return? A pick to clear cap space to find someone else I assume?
How about âTecodaâ for a name for the third line?
Elliot looks like he smells like cheese