LA Kings Training Camp Preview: Andrei Kuzmenko

With training camp just around the corner, we are previewing each player on the LA Kings roster. Up next: Andrei Kuzmenko!

Andrei Kuzmenko

Birthdate: February 4, 1996

Birthplace: Yakutsk, Russia

Height: 5’11

Weight: 194 lbs

Position: Left wing/right wing

Shoots: Right

Draft: Undrafted

2024-25 season

Andrei Kuzmenko didn’t start the season with the Kings. After stints with the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers, former general manager Rob Blake acquired the 29-year-old winger along with a seventh-round pick (2025) for only a 2027 third-round pick, with the Flyers retaining 50% of his salary. Although the Kings didn’t get a bigger fish at the deadline, acquiring Kuzmenko accomplished two things: a right-handed forward in the top six and a power-play threat down low, as the Kings lacked in both areas.

The low-risk, high-reward deal ultimately proved to be a significant reward for the Kings. Despite going scoreless in his first eight games as a King, Kuzmenko recorded 17 points (5 G, 22 A) in 22 games on the top line after being acquired at the deadline. As for the power play (15.0% before the trade), it had a conversion rate of 23.9% after Kuzmenko’s arrival (3/8 – 4/17), and the forward recorded five power-play assists. In six playoff games, Kuzmenko recorded three power-play goals and three assists for six points.

2025-26 outlook

Kuzmenko will be back with the Kings after signing a one-year deal on the eve of free agency. It’s another low-risk, high-reward type of deal that benefits both parties. If Kuzmenko can produce in a full season with the Kings the way he did after the trade deadline, it’ll set him up for a nice payday next offseason, and the Kings will have a steal of a contract. Consistency will be key for Kuzmenko, as this will be his fourth team in four seasons. He hasn’t been able to find his footing with a team yet, but can this be the year he does?

Featured image credit: Luke Hales/Getty Images

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