Andrei Kuzmenko has committed to play for the Vancouver Canucks next season.
The forward is a free agent after eight seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League and is eligible to sign July 13 at noon ET.
“I have been watching Andrei since his 2014-15 season and have been impressed with his development and improvement on the ice,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said. “Once the contract details are finalized, we look forward to welcoming him to the Canucks organization and helping him continue to grow as a hockey player.”
Kuzmenko is coming off his best season with 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) in 45 games for St. Petersburg. The 26-year-old led SKA in points and assists and was second in goals. He was second in the KHL in scoring.
“We would like to thank all the teams that we met with for their time and interest,” Kuzmenko’s agent Dan Milstein said.. “We were impressed by what the Canucks organization wants to accomplish and the winning culture they are building. Andrei felt a good connection with the management team and is looking forward to playing for (coach) Bruce Boudreau.”
Though Vancouver (40-30-12) missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons, it was 32-15-10 under Boudreau, who replaced Travis Green on Dec. 5 following an 8-15-2 start. The Canucks announced May 13 that Boudreau is returning as coach.