Penguins’ Andrei Kuzmenko To Take Leave Of Absence

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Andrei Kuzmenko will take a personal leave of absence following the death of his father, per King Jemison of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Kuzmenko skated with the team at Thursday morning’s practice before headed back to his native Russia.

Kuzmenko joined the Penguins on a one-year, $5MM contract signed on July 1st. It marked another team change for the 30-year-old winger who has appeared with four different clubs since 2023. His production has ebbed-and-flowed, reaching the heights of 39 goals and 74 points in his rookie season of 2022-23 but falling to just 13 goals and 25 points last season.

Despite rough seas, Kuzmenko has been praised throughout Pittsburgh’s training camp as a positive energy and hard worker. He is set for a top-nine role, likely behind scoring winger Egor Chinakhov, who boomed in Pittsburgh after years of shaky play with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Once Kuzmenko feels ready to return, he should fill an important, depth role on the Penguins’ lineup. Until he returns, winger Ville Koivunen should receive the biggest boost. Should Kuzmenko sit out through the start of Pittsburgh’s season, on September 30th, his vacancy could also offer opportunity to prospects like Rutger McGroarty, Tristan Broz, or Bill Zonnon.