Andrei Kuzmenko was traded to the Los Angeles Kings by the Philadelphia Flyers for a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft on Friday.
The Flyers also sent a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft to the Kings, and will retain 50 percent of Kuzmenko’s remaining salary.
Kuzmenko is in the final season of a two-year, $11 million contract ($5.5 million average annual value) he signed with the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 26, 2023, and can become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
The Kings (31-20-9) are third in the Pacific Division, three points ahead of the fourth-place Calgary Flames.
Kuzmenko had been acquired by the Flyers in a trade with the Calgary Flames on Jan. 30, along with forward Jakob Pelletier, for forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, and had five points (two goals, three assists) in seven games with Philadelphia.
“Good kid, full of energy, very skilled,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said of Kuzmenko. “I liked his energy. … The book on him is the inconsistency. He’s really good and then there’s some struggles. I do believe that happened. But it’s been a good experience for me with him, and I hope for him with us trying to find his game. You have a skilled guy like that, maybe he connects with a player like that in L.A. and it helps him. I wish him the best.”
The 29-year-old forward has 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 44 games this season.
The Flyers (27-28-8), who have lost two straight, are five points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
Signed by Vancouver as an undrafted free agent on July 13, 2022, Kuzmenko has 140 points (67 goals, 73 assists) in 197 regular-season games for the Flyers, Flames and Canucks.
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