The latest information on the case did not reveal whether or not the Canucks had made a decision on the newcoming winger, Andrei Kuzmenko. It's believed that in his next contract negotiation, they'll aim for the same deal Artemi Panarin had previously signed which accounts for a $6M AAV.
At this point, the Canucks are still unsure whether or not they want to pay that money and whether or not they have the room. Andrei Kuzmenko walked into Vancouver this season with no prior NHL experience and he adjusted real-fast to the North American with 36 points in 40 games.
The actual debate moving forward will need to be dealt with before the trade deadline on March 3rd. The winger will definitely gather lots of interest since he's highly productive and carries a really low $950K AAV, making him one of the cheapest point-per-dollar players in the NHL, even amongst those with entry-level contracts.
Rick Dhaliwal made an intriguing revelation this morning again, stating that the Canucks had already set a price on the winger's head. He said the Canucks wanted a 2nd Round Pick, at the very least, for their forward. The way he's playing if he becomes available by trade, be sure that contending teams will pay a first-rounder to acquire the low-cost Russian.
