The Calgary Flames will be making Andrei Kuzmenko a healthy scratch for tonight’s game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Several fans in Calgary have been calling for this decision to be made as of late. The 28-year-old has had a rough first quarter of the 2024-25 season, scoring just one goal while adding eight helpers through 25 games.
The slow start is bad news for the Flames organization, as they appeared to be set up for a big trade return for Kuzmenko just a few months ago. The pending UFA scored goals in bunches after being acquired partway through the 2023-24 season, notching 14 in just 29 games as a Flame.
A similar level of production was expected for Kuzmenko this season, though he hasn’t come remotely close to replicating it. It’s clear that the struggles have taken a toll on his confidence, as he isn’t nearly as trigger-happy as he was to close out the 2023-24 campaign. While far from ideal, sitting out as a healthy scratch could be what it takes to get him to produce once again.
In Kuzmenko’s defence, he’s far from the only Flame struggling to put up points this season. The entire team is averaging just 2.52 goals per game this season, which ranks 28th amongst all 32 teams. Nazem Kadri leads the way in scoring with only 15 points, further indicating just how difficult goals have been to come by for this group.
The Flames’ lack of goals didn’t hurt them too much through their first 21 games of the season, as great goaltending helped lead them to a 12-6-3 record. However, Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar have both stumbled a bit as of late, which resulted in a winless four-game road trip. They suddenly sit at 12-9-4 and are just barely clinging onto a wild-card position.
More to come…
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