- The Lightning reportedly offered Nikita Kucherov four years at around $15M per season
- David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period passed along the number as chatter, not a confirmed term
- Read below for how the offer compares to his current deal and where the trade request stands
The Lightning reportedly put a big offer in front of Nikita Kucherov before he asked out of Tampa Bay.
Insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period said Friday night that Tampa Bay presented Kucherov with a four-year offer worth around $15 million per season. Pagnotta called it chatter, so the exact figures are not confirmed by either side.
Here’s Pagnotta’s post:
Four years at $15 million a year comes out to $60 million. That would be a $5.5 million raise on the $9.5 million cap hit Kucherov carries in the final season of his eight-year, $76 million contract, and it would run through his age-37 season.
Our graphic put the number in context. It sits $5.8 million per year below the NHL’s current maximum AAV, which is a big part of why a deal like this would be a hard sell for a reigning Hart Trophy winner:
Contract talks have dragged since the summer. BriseBois gave an update on Sept. 16 and said both sides would rather have a deal done.
“Throughout these contract negotiations, both parties I know would prefer to have a deal today to put that behind us,” BriseBois said. “We haven’t been able to do that.”
We covered the early stages of that standoff when the Lightning were up against an eight-year deadline. The talks never got to the finish line.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman broke the news Friday that Kucherov told the Lightning he won’t re-sign and wants to be traded. BriseBois answered with a statement saying the team has no intention of trading him.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic added that Kucherov plans to keep playing while the situation plays out. Check out his post:
Kucherov has 15 points in 12 games this season. The Lightning visit Nashville on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET, their first game since the news broke.
