Andrei Kuzmenko’s time with the Los Angeles Kings ended the way so many of his stretches in black and silver did: with flashes of real value, uneven production, and enough frustration to keep the conversation going.
The winger arrived with a reputation for offense, and he delivered that right away after coming over from the Vancouver Canucks at the 2025 trade deadline a couple of seasons ago. That created real buzz when he later signed a one-year deal in the 2025 offseason, with plenty of expectation that he could give the Kings a boost in the top six alongside Kevin Fiala, Adrian Kempe, and center captain Anze Kopitar.
For stretches, he did exactly that. Kuzmenko worked as a playmaking presence on the wing and helped the Kings’ top power-play unit down the stretch in the 2024-25 season. Even in a season that went sideways at times, he still found ways to matter on special teams.
But the 2025-26 regular season never really settled into a clean rhythm for him. Through the first 22 games, Kuzmenko had only three goals and single-digit points. Injuries then chipped away at his ability to stay effective and consistent in the lineup, and the uneven offense eventually led to several healthy scratches.
The scoring drought wasn’t the whole story, though. The Kings’ offense as a whole struggled, and Kuzmenko wasn’t the only reason for that. Still, his lack of steady production made him an easy player to shuffle in and out.
His best work came on the power play, where he remained efficient even as the unit itself wasn’t especially strong. Kuzmenko finished the season with a team-high eight power-play goals, a reminder that his touch around the net still played.
Then came another setback. An injury just before the Kings’ coaching change interrupted any chance for him to build momentum again before the playoffs. By the end of the year, he had fewer than a half dozen even-strength goals at 5-on-5 and appeared in only one postseason game for Los Angeles in the first round against the Colorado Avalanche.
That body of work earned Kuzmenko a 2025-26 season grade of C.
Now he’s moving on. Kuzmenko signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins worth $5 million in base value, ending his run in Los Angeles after a couple of seasons as a useful offensive piece on the wing.
His departure shouldn’t erase what he brought to the Kings, especially on the power play and in the offensive zone. At the same time, Los Angeles used the cap room created by his exit to bring in Mats Zuccarello, Erik Haula, Scott Laughton, and Corey Perry, a move that looks like the organization betting on depth and proven veterans for the next phase.
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Kings Still Have One Blue Line Problem Ken Holland Must Solve
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Ken Holland still has to make the math work, and that is where the challenge gets real. With only about $2 million in cap space, any meaningful addition is going to require a careful dollar-in, dollar-out move, even as the Kings try to strengthen a blue line that could use another skilled option to lighten the load and help a team that needs more production overall. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Suddenly Have A 2027 Draft Question Fans Can't Ignore
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For Los Angeles, the bigger question is less about who might be available than what the organization will actually be holding when that draft arrives. It is still far too early to know where the Kings will be selecting, and there is also no guarantee Ken Holland and the front office will even be making that first-round choice themselves, which leaves one more layer of intrigue around a draft that is already drawing attention. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Fiala's Kings Grade Hinges On The Same Lingering Concern
Kevin Fialas 2025-26 season for the Kings was the kind that reminded everyone why he remains such a central piece of the offense when hes available. In 56 games, he delivered 18 goals and 22 assists, production that kept him among the clubs most important scoring threats even after missing nearly a third of the schedule.
The lingering issue for Los Angeles is not whether Fiala can help, but whether he can stay on the ice long enough to make that impact last. He is expected back as a top-six forward in 2026-27, and there is at least the possibility of an offensive reunion with former teammate Mats Zuccarello, which only adds another layer to a season the Kings will be watching closely. [Read more 🡒]