Overview
- The Pittsburgh Penguins agreed to terms to sign Andrei Kuzmenko to a one-year contract with a $5 million cap hit, a move reported on Wednesday by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun and carried by multiple outlets.
- Kuzmenko, 30, scored 13 goals and 25 points in 52 games for the Los Angeles Kings in 2025-26 and will be an unrestricted free agent again next July under the one-year deal.
- Scouts describe Kuzmenko as a crafty finisher with excellent hands and a high career shooting percentage but note he is a notably slow skater with limited physicality, making him a middle-six scoring option rather than a top-line winger.
- PensBurgh cited CapWages reporting that Pittsburgh still projects more than $33 million in salary-cap space after the signing, which commentators say could clear room for additional moves or trades.
- Kuzmenko rose through the KHL and broke out with Vancouver in 2022-23 (39 goals, 74 points) before moving between Calgary, Philadelphia and Los Angeles in recent seasons, a path that leaves him as a veteran depth addition for the Penguins.