Andrei Kuzmenko’s exit from Los Angeles was never going to be a simple yes-or-no verdict.
When unrestricted free agency opened this past week, the former Kings forward landed with the Pittsburgh Penguins on a one-year deal worth $5 million in base value for the upcoming season. That move closed the book on a player who gave Los Angeles a real offensive jolt after arriving at the trade deadline in the 2024-25 season.
The Kings clearly had reasons to move in another direction. Kuzmenko wasn’t going to come cheap, and the club used its cap space to reshape the roster in ways that fit other needs. That included adding more center depth and bringing in a playmaking top-six winger, while also letting Kuzmenko and winger Jeff Malott walk.
One of the biggest pieces of that offseason puzzle was former Minnesota Wild veteran winger Mats Zuccarello, who signed a one-year contract worth $1 million in base value for the 2026-27 season. Zuccarello’s numbers from last season - 54 points in 59 games - make him look like a bargain, and his fit with Kevin Fiala from their Minnesota days gives the Kings another layer of intrigue in the top six. If he brings that same production to Los Angeles, the move will age well.
Still, Kuzmenko’s case for staying wasn’t hard to make either.
He brought the kind of offensive upside the Kings needed heading into training camp and the preseason, and he was a spark on the power play. He also became a fan favorite and a strong presence in the room over the past couple of seasons. After Los Angeles acquired him at the trade deadline, he delivered quickly, finishing with five goals and 17 points in just 22 games.
That’s why the decision sits in a gray area. The Kings may end up looking right if Zuccarello and the other offseason additions lift the roster the way they’re expected to. But Kuzmenko’s departure still leaves behind a real need for creativity and playmaking, and there were valid reasons to think another season in Los Angeles could have made sense.