Nikita Kucherov Joins In On The Fun, Becomes The Latest NHL Superstar To Request A Trade
Mark LoMoglio. Getty Images.What a year in the National!
American players have been catching a ton of heat lately for the amount of trade requests that have been getting thrown around out there. Brady Tkachuk, Dylan Larkin, Connor Hellebuyck. Nikita Kucherov sees what is going on here. He may not have been a part of those conversations in the USA Hockey locker room, but he gets it. Players are starting to understand they have some power, and they can force their way into better situations. So here comes Kuch to get in on the action.
It was just a few short years ago that Nikita Kucherov was leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships. He's put up 100+ points every year since 2017-18, and was on pace for 100+ if the 2020 and 2021 seasons weren't cut short. He was the Hart Trophy winner last season and in 2019. He was the Art Ross winner in 2019, 2024, and 2025. And he just became the Lightning's all-time leading point scorer. 2 Harts, 2 Cups, all-time points scorer. He is the greatest Tampa Bay Lightning player in the history of that franchise.
Which is why it probably had to feel like a kick in the ball when the Lightning offered him this contract over the summer.
Kucherov is 33-years-old so I can understand not wanting to throw a massive number his way for 8-years. But $15M on a 4-year when Macklin Celebrini and Cale Makar are signing $20M tickets? That had to rub Kucherov the wrong way a bit. And then you add in the fact that Tampa has been bounced out of the playoffs in the first round in each of the last 4 seasons? Now seems like a great time for Nikita Kucherov to find a new home. To play for a team that will pay him what he deserves, and has a chance to get his name on the Cup again.
But that trade isn't happening anytime soon.
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"We unequivocally have no intention of trading Nikita"
Uhhhhhh buddy, you should. See here is the major difference between the Kucherov situation and other situations like Dylan Larkin and Connor Hellebuyck. Those guys all requested trades when they still had plenty of term left on their contract. Those GMs could afford to play hardball because the player was still under contract for multiple years. Don't want to play here? Fine. Sit your ass at home for a while and see if they care. But Nikita Kucherov is in the final year of his contract. He told you he has no intention of re-signing in Tampa, so you are now on an expiring timeline. You either trade Nikita Kucherov and receive a massive haul for him before the trade deadline, or you lose him for absolutely nothing this summer.
I understand wanting to portray this strong stance, but Julien BriseBois HAS to trade Nikita Kucherov. It would be total malpractice to not get as much as possible in return for him as you can. Does that sort of make you punt on this season? Probably, if the trade package is mostly involving picks and prospects. But at least you are making your organization significantly stronger in the future than you are by letting Nikita Kucherov just walk for nothing at all over the summer. If anything, Kucherov is doing the Lightning a massive favor by telling them to trade him now. It gives them plenty of time to make a deal before its too late and he's gone for free. Nikita Kucherov, good guy. And future Philadelphia Flyer.