Kings winger Andrei Kuzmenko can turn an interview into an excavation process, with his sentiments being gleaned through beaming smiles, unconventional phrasing and sentence construction whose creativity rivals his imaginativeness on the ice. But among his teammates, the 29-year-old Russian never stops communicating, jawing into the ear of linemate Adrian Kempe most often when frequently chopping it up on the ice, behind the bench or in the dressing room. So is he talking strategy? Keeping himself focused? Getting his teammates going? Curating the vibe? “All of the above,” said his other linemate, captain Anže Kopitar. “He’s obviously playing with a lot of energy, too, and he’s no different on the bench. We have good chatter, which is good, because it keeps us engaged.” Kuzmenko, who is playing for his fourth team in two seasons and his fifth head coach in three campaigns, was acquired at the trade deadline from the Philadelphia Flyers. He said he’s felt a lot of support from the Kings’ organization, his teammates and the fans. He also said that he’d learned over time from having so many different instructors, from player-friendly coaches like Bruce Boudreau and Jim Hiller to fiery disciplinarians like John Tortorella and Rick Tocchet. “He’s realizing that he’s gone from Vancouver to Calgary to Philly to L.A., all in two years. He probably thought, ‘I like this league, I like this money, and so now I’m going to really bear down,’” said Boudreau, who added that the Kings “gambled and, I think, so far they’ve won”. Philadelphia had auditioned Kuzmenko briefly after he came over as an expiring contract in a four-player trade that was mostly made to jettison Joel Farabee’s salary. For the Kings, he’s been a lightning rod, awakening a drowsy offense that had careened through the better part of two campaigns and still looked listless immediately before the trade deadline. But since it passed, the Kings have had the NHL’s No. 2 offense in terms of goals per game and have converted on nearly 24% of their power-play opportunities. They’d ranked 23rd in goals-for to that point with a meager 15% man-advantage clip. Going back to Nov. 1 2023, they’d been the NHL’s No. 27 offense. All Kuzmenko’s 17 points as a King came during a 14-game outburst, one that was more productive than half a campaign with Calgary. It was another redeeming moment for embroiled general manager Rob Blake, whose acquisition of team MVP Darcy Kuemper, in exchange for beleaguered center Pierre-Luc Dubois, and signing of another forward who’s bounced between franchises and coaches, Warren Foegele, have paid off in spades as well. Flyers GM Daniel Briere said he was not actively shopping Kuzmenko but got a call from Blake late in the process, with talks advancing quickly. Briere said Kuzmenko’s offensive inclination and history with Philly rookie Matvei Michkov made him appealing, and that Calgary GM Craig Conroy had given his personality glowing reviews as well. “Calgary told us he was great in that sense, that he would be a great fit in our locker room, that he had a lot of energy and that he was easy to talk to,” Briere said. Boudreau, who coached Alex Ovechkin in Washington among other prominent Russian players, said Kuzmenko boasted a similar combination of on-ice and off-ice effervescence. “His personality was superior. He would do a lot of stuff for the Canucks before the season started, with kids and everything,” said Boudreau, the former Ducks coach who was with Kuzmenko in Vancouver for parts of two seasons. “I thought, ‘If this guy has success, it’ll be a popularity like Ovi’s, he’s got that bubbly personality.’ But you’ve got to attain the hockey success first.” Kuzmenko’s success has tended to come at the beginning of his tenures, though he dismissed the idea that he was a honeymoon player. He scored 39 goals in his rookie year, 2022-23, but was traded as a sophomore, only to rediscover his touch late in 2023-24, a campaign he finished with 17 points in 11 games. Yet the next year with the Flames, he scored his first goal Oct. 15 and his second Jan. 18, a drought of more than three months. Boudreau said Kuzmenko had received some special treatment in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League and had little in the way of defensive demands there. While Kuzmenko was receptive to messages, even critical ones, Boudreau said it was vital to value Kuzmenko and frame communication in a way that resonated with him. “He’s the kind of guy that you’ve got to put your arm around and talk to him to get things through to him, rather than being a (drill sergeant) or treating him just like everybody else,” Boudreau said. “He’s used to being treated like a star.” For Hiller and the Kings’ staff, it hasn’t been difficult to embrace Kuzmenko, nor has it been for his brothers in arms. “You just play hard and you play well, and everybody will put their arm around you,” Hiller said. “You always like to hear from the coach but, I’m telling you, the teammates are the ones who really matter in the end.” Kuzmenko will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, positioned for a payday just as the cap is set to escalate significantly from year-to-year after five seasons of post-pandemic stagnation. He was situated thusly by Daniel Milstein, who did the same for another 29-year-old Russian, Vladislav Gavrikov, only to see that client switch to Pat Brisson before signing an extension. That could make for an intriguing negotiation this summer, though Boudreau said he’d hoped Kuzmenko would consider prioritizing fit over finances. Kuzmenko has not only brought his trademark excellence below the faceoff circles, but the sort of rush play that enthused Elias Pettersson in Vancouver and the type of flashy playmaking he can deliver at his best. “We’ve seen a couple of the assists that he’s gotten lately, and I think it’s all about confidence, behind-the-back passes that are right on the tape and the guys are scoring. That’s the kind of skill he has,” Boudreau said. “He’s feeling comfortable as a King right now, so you’re seeing that play like when he scored 39 goals that year, not like when he was stuck on one for the longest time at the start of this year.”