Vancouver Canucks Coach Reportedly done with former 40-goal scorer
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Tom Banks
January 5, 2024 (1:44 PM)
Photo credit: The Abbotsford News
The Vancouver Canucks 2023-24 season has been nothing short of a major success thus far, but it appears that there may be some serious cracks behind the scenes.
Rick Tocchet done with a promising young name
According to Elliotte Friedman, the cracks that have formed in the relationship between Rick Tocchet and
Andrei Kuzmenko have widened in recent times, even claiming that the Head Coach is at the end of his fuse with Kuzmenko.
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Elliotte on Tocchet and Kuzmenko:
They had a big face to face meeting before the X-mas break in Dallas...People said this was a good meeting, the air is clear. A week and a bit later and look where we are. He's reached the end of his fuse with Kuzmenko.
This entire situation is an intriguing one, and not a good thing for Canucks fans, as Kuzmenko showed he can be a game breaker last season when he tallied 39 goals and 74 points in his first season in the NHL after finally making the jump from the KHL.
A relationship ending, trade next for Kuzmenko?
While Tocchet may seemingly be done with the 27-year old, that doesn't mean the NHL is, as he showed tremendous ability a year ago, and with 19 points in 32 games this season, he can clearly play.
With an average annual salary of $5.5 million, that could be fantastic value for a team out there looking for a versatile goal scorer on the left wing, and it appears Canucks fans are bracing for the real possibility that he gets moved soon.
This is a tough situation for many, but sometimes things just don't work out, and given his talent and potential return in a trade, there's a way to end things that make sense for both parties.
Previously on Daily Hockey Dose
POLL |
5 JANVIER | 1245 ANSWERS Vancouver Canucks Coach Reportedly done with former 40-goal scorer Will Kuzmenko hit 40-goals again in his NHL career? |
Yes | 698 | 56.1 % |
No | 547 | 43.9 % |
LIST OF POLLS |
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