Sekeres and Price: Darren Dreger on the Sekeres and Price show talking about a potential contract extension for Vancouver Canucks Andrei Kuzmenko.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“… And there was a connection there with Milstein, with Kuzmenko and Patrik Allvin. So Patrik Allvin did real good job in selling Kuzmenko and choosing the Vancouver Canucks.
So, I’d be really surprised if the Canucks aren’t willing to exhaust whatever process is required to get to the point in the negotiation where he’s a fit financially and otherwise, or he’s not a fit. And if he’s not a fit, alright, let’s maybe save our criticism of that until later in the year until we have a good feel for what Andrei Kuzmenko is, consistently in the National Hockey League.
I think that there have been flashes of what we would to hope to expect but guys, we’ve seen this from other Europeans, and other Russian players to come in as unrestricted free agents in the past, where the promise is there that they’re going to be stars in the NHL and then it takes longer than maybe what the player’s expecting, and the team isn’t as patient as that, and the negotiations don’t go as well.
I think there’s a willingness from the Kuzmenko camp, headed by Dan Milstein and the Vancouver Canucks but I don’t know if they’re anywhere close at this point or if even started for that matter.
Donnie and Dhali: Don Taylor and Rick Dhaliwal talk on Monday about Vancouver Canucks pending UFA forward Andrei Kuzmenko.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Taylor: “One-year deal, $950,000. So much focus on Bo Horvat and his deal ending. What about somebody who’s playing at a point-a-game pace right now in his first NHL season? He’s been good.
Dhaliwal: “Well, 10 goals. 20-games. The OT winner night, beautiful setup by J.T. Miller by the way folks in overtime.
21 points in 21 games for Kuzmenko. Now if, capital letters, IF, he keeps up this pace, it’s going to be tough to re-sign him.
Taylor: “Let’s see you’re tweet from the weekend.”
Dhaliwal: “No, don’t show my tweet, show Milstein’s, the agent. night right after…”
Taylor: Didn’t you tweet this? Or he tweeted it.”
Dhaliwal: “Ah, he tweeted it. The agent. Look at this. Milstein, the money bags.
Taylor: “This is your tweet.
Dhaliwal: “Why you showing my tweet Ryan? Show Milstein’s
Ryan: “That’s Milstein’s tweet below it. Can’t you read?”
Dhaliwal: “Oh, I see. Okay. Anyways, the money signs. Money bags. So I got to him after he …”
Taylor: “How was your weekend by the way? You seem confused.
Dhaliwal: “I’m not confused. I’m always confused. Anyways, I got to him after he showed the money bags tweet, and I said, ‘what’s going on here?’
Ryan: “I’ve got a second tweet
Dhaliwal: “Show the other tweet. His comment.
Look, I don’t think he’s looked at the money yet, and he said, I asked him, ‘what’s he going to cost? $4 ? $5 ? $6 ? $7 ? No clue to be honest with when it comes to a number. Just proud of him. It’s been a long road to get him to the NHL. He deserves anything he gets.
Taylor: “No clue when it comes to a number? Come on.
Dhaliwal: “First of all, they can’t talk to him until January 1st. That’s issue number one. Number two, is he going to go into a dry spell. Is he going to hit a wall. It’s his first year in the NHL. He’s already been a healthy scratch on a road trip Don because of the grind of the NHL and sometimes guys aren’t used to it. He’s going to hit a wall. I don’t see him point these numbers, I don’t know if do, but…”
Taylor: “Why are you getting mad at me. If I had an agent that wasn’t thinking about my financial health, I’d fire the agent. Of course, he’s thinking of money. Come on. ”
Dhaliwal: “Yep, but here’s the problem. The window. What’s Milstein had to look at? The window’s only been 21 games. He doesn’t have anything to go back last year on or the year before pr the year before, and they’ll act accordingly after January 1st.”
** NHLRumors.com transcription