LOS ANGELES -- Amidst one of the most exciting trade deadlines the NHL has had in a long time, one which saw superstar Mikko Rantanen join his third team this season, general manager Rob Blake stayed quiet in Los Angeles, acquiring just one player before 3 PM ET.
The Los Angeles Kings acquired forward Andrei Kuzmenko and a 2025 seventh-round pick from the Philadelphia Flyers for a third-round pick in 2027. The deal included Philadelphia retaining 50% of Kuzmenko's contract.
The @LAKings have acquired forward Andrei Kuzmenko and a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/zhtK0XpSBb
— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) March 7, 2025
It was a move that paled in comparison to the massive deal for Rantanen and wasn't the big splash some people in LA wanted, but that doesn't make it a bad move.
What Kuzmenko brings:
In his media availability, Blake addressed the acquisition of Kuzmenko, repeatedly highlighting the team's need for an offensive spark and especially Kuzmenko's ability on the power play.
"I think [the power play] is one of his specialties, with his shot and the history of him the past couple of years, previous to this year, with the scoring ability," said Blake. "Maybe a different look to our power play and gives a different offensive feel to that. We've tried some other players, but that is what he does, yes."
Based on Blake's comments I'd assume Kuzmenko starts on the top power-play unit, likely replacing Alex Laferriere starting tomorrow. Kuzmenko's had a lot of success on the power play during his career with 26 of his 67 career goals coming on the powerplay.
Blake was less certain about his 5v5 fit though.
"I'll leave that stuff up to [Jim Hiller], I could target a spot right now but you've seen Jim coach," said Blake. "Give it a couple minutes and they'll be moved all over, but specifically in offensive roles, power play and different things."
So how does Kuzmenko fit? Starting with the positives, Kuzmenko is an extremely skilled player who uses excellent puck skills and a nose for goal to create a lot of offense.
He thrives below the goal line and in tight areas, scoring a lot of goals in and around the net front area. He doesn't have the same power element, but offensively he isn't too dissimilar to former King Gabe Vilardi.
On the negative side, Kuzmenko is a slow skater who doesn't do a ton away from the puck. He isn't physical and is subpar defensively. The lack of physicality and defensive game are the two biggest areas of concern with Kuzmenko.
The Kings demand a lot of grinding and defensive diligence from their players which Kuzmenko doesn't always provide.
"We have a very defensively structured team in our own zone, and we have some players that don't always fit that mold that might not always be that way too," said Blake when asked about potential concerns with Kuzmenko's defensive play. "We balance that, but we're looking with this player, what he can provide is on the offensive side."
That will be the big stumbling block for Kuzmenko in LA, how can he fit into that defensive structure and how much trust will he get from Jim Hiller?
If the lineup card was mine, Kuzmenko would start on a line with Quinton Byfield and Kevin Fiala. To succeed Kuzmenko needs players who play with a lot of speed and a lot of skill and there isn't a better line for that combination than Byfield and Fiala.
Alex Laferriere can move to Anze Kopitar's line to give them some more speed and another finisher to round out their top nine.
With Byfield and Fiala, Kuzmenko won't have to worry about puck-carrying much or generating chances on his own. He can be a pure finisher who cashes in on the chances his linemates create, the ideal role for him.
On the power play, he should be playing the net front and be a constant threat to pop down low and create from below the goal line.
I'm cautiously optimistic about this move. There are some real question marks about Kuzmenko's fit, but the upside is pretty significant with him and he looks like an excellent fit for Byfield and Fiala on paper and looks to be a big boost for the power play.
I think there's a lot of variance for how this could go, he could be anywhere from brilliant to horrible and none of the outcomes would shock me. Given the relatively low cost, I think it was an excellent move from Blake.
That was the only trade Blake made, however, I do think he deserves credit for the moves he didn't make. There was some clamoring, and potentially legitimate interest internally, for the Kings to go out and make a big swing but I don't think that was the right move.
There wasn't a player available who could drastically change LA's immediate ceiling, so overpaying for a forward would have been a mistake.
Instead, Blake made a low-risk, high-reward move that addresses a significant point of weakness for this team. Adding a depth forward would have been nice but that market can always be volatile so I understand why they avoided it.
Overall, I'd give Blake and the Kings a B grade for this deadline.