Rutherford: Canucks will 'keep open mind' for solution to Kuzmenko's struggles

Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford fended off trade speculation surrounding Andrei Kuzmenko, but he acknowledged the club needs to find a way to help the struggling forward get back on track.

"Well, we'll keep an open mind," Rutherford told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "I don't want to just lock ourselves into one answer. But we need to continue to try to help him."

Kuzmenko was one of Vancouver's top players in his debut campaign, racking up 39 goals and 74 points in 2022-23. He was rewarded with a two-year, $11-million extension in January but has had difficulty producing this season with only 15 points in 25 games.

The 27-year-old's ice time is down since the Canucks hired Rick Tocchet, and he's been a healthy scratch twice under the new bench boss. Teams are reportedly circling to see if he could be available via trade as his role in the high-powered Canucks' attack dwindles, but Rutherford wants to remain patient.

"I'm concerned only to the point that now he's feeling the pressure," Rutherford said. "And when you feel the pressure and you start pushing, squeezing the stick harder and passing when you should be shooting and vice versa, you get a little bit concerned.

"I believe in the staff we have and they will continue to work with him. He's a good player. He is a capable player. Is he a guy that's going to score 40 goals again? Maybe not. But certainly, the way he plays, you should be able to project him at 25."

The Canucks' offense has thrived despite Kuzmenko's struggles. J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, and Brock Boeser all rank within the top 12 of the NHL's scoring race. Vancouver's arsenal of weapons is a key reason it sits second in the Pacific Division at 18-9-1 and owns the NHL's top goal differential at plus-34.