Flames: Inside Andrei Kuzmenko's first two weeks as a Calgary Flames

It's been two weeks since Andriy Kuzmenko was part of a huge trade that sent him from Vancouver to Calgary on January 31st.

The Flames are in an interesting place right now. Despite a decent start after the All-Star break and trying to land a talented guy like Kuzmenko, they've made a lot of noise about players like Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin and Jacob Markstrom who could be dealt before the NHL. trade term.

“I've said a lot of times that I feel like our leaders have done a great job of making sure they push anything that's getting away from our team,” head coach Ryan Huska said. “They did a really good job with it.”

Since returning from the All-Star break, the Flames are 3-1-0 while scoring 3.50 goals per game and allowing just 2.00 goals per game during that stretch. Their special teams are also clicking at a fast pace as their power play is 30.0% and their penalty kill is 90.0%.

While that sounds like a good thing, it makes the Flames' current situation a bit odd. Will they be buyers at the deadline if they win games? Or will they stick with the plan to rebuild their list and remain sellers?

“I think you just have to focus on what's in front of you and they have a job to do. They have to come and play their best,” Huska said. “That's all we ask of them.”

Kuzmenko is one of the guys who came in and did a great job. In his first four games with the Flames, he scored two goals and was paired with Jonathan Huberdeau and Egor Sharangovic. For Kuzmenko, all these games were on the road, which is a great way to bond with new teammates because there is nothing to worry about.

“We're around each other more on the road than we are at home. “I think it's a good thing for the guy to be around his new teammates,” Huska said. “You're in a hotel or you're at an ice rink, it's a lot. This will allow him (Kuzmenko) to meet his new teammates and feel more comfortable than when we started at home.”

Just by walking around the group you can tell Kuzmenko is a happy, fun-loving guy, but whenever a player is traded, it's always interesting to hear who will take them under their wing at the new team. “He's attracted to everything, nobody should be attracted to him,” Huska said. “The only obvious guy would be Sharangovich, because they speak the same language, but other than that – he was going around everyone in our room, which was fun to watch.”

The on-ice relationship that Sharanovic and Kuzmenko developed has clearly led to some on-ice success. Sharangovich calls Kuzmenko a “fun guy” and fun to play with.

When I told Sharangovich that Huska called Kuzmenko a very funny guy, Kuzmenko overheard.

“Did the coach say?” Well, I really like it,” said Kuzmenko with a smile.

“He's always smiling,” Sharangovich said. “I always like to laugh because it is good for health. We just come into the dressing room and start talking, joking around, it's great.”

After the morning skate, you could feel the vibe in the Flames locker room very high. The room is always lighter when the team wins hockey games.

“It's a very good locker room, I like it,” Kuzmenko said. “It's a new page for me, but it's difficult because there are new rules, new tactics.”

He emphasized how he and his colleagues should focus on daily communication. He considers Huberdeau and Sharangovic “high class players” and wants to be with them. Learning what you want on the ice is a big process and takes a long time, says Kuzmenko. As for getting off the ice: It's also a learning experience, like Kuzmenko's first Super Bowl appearance over the weekend.

If Kuzmenko continues to play well and the Flames continue to win hockey games, this trade deadline could be very interesting. They are currently in fifth place in the Pacific Division and just three points back of the second Wildcard spot in the Western Conference. Perhaps no team has more results for the rest of the season. In any case, Kuzmenko will play an important role.

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Soon Johnny Lazarus