Canucks sign Kuzmenko to 2-year extension with $5.5M AAV

The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Andrei Kuzmenko to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5.5 million, the club announced Thursday.

The deal includes a 12-team no-trade clause, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Kuzmenko was a pending unrestricted free agent after signing a one-year contract with Vancouver this past July. He currently carries a $1.8-million AAV and a cap hit of $950,000, according to CapFriendly.

The Russian winger has 21 goals and 22 assists in 47 games this season. Joining the Canucks after eight KHL campaigns, he ranks second on the team in goal-scoring and third in point production in 2022-23.

Kuzmenko, who turns 27 on Feb. 4, also has favorable underlying numbers. The Canucks have controlled 52.08% of the expected goals with Kuzmenko on the ice at five-on-five and 50.35% of the scoring chances in those situations, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Vancouver's primary transactional concern remains team captain Bo Horvat's future. The 27-year-old will undoubtedly be seeking a significant raise as a pending UFA in the midst of a career year.