- ESPN’s Emily Kaplan says Kucherov wants to play with another superstar
- Kaplan says he has a few players and teams in mind
- Read below for the Lightning’s response and where his contract stands
Nikita Kucherov doesn’t just want out of Tampa Bay. He apparently has a type of destination in mind.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan said Friday night that she believes Kucherov has his eyes set on playing with another one of the league’s top superstars and has a few players and teams in mind. Here’s Kaplan’s post:
Kaplan did not name names. She added that what moves the Lightning can, or are willing to, pull off.
Tampa Bay already answered the second part. GM Julien BriseBois put out a statement Friday night saying the team won’t go along with it. “We unequivocally have no intention of trading Nikita,” BriseBois said. Check out Pierre LeBrun’s post with the full statement:
The request itself came out earlier in the day, when Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman broke the news that Kucherov told the team he won’t re-sign. We have the details on how that meeting went down.
Kucherov is 33 and in the final season of an eight-year, $76 million deal with a $9.5 million cap hit. He becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2027, and he reportedly has a modified no-trade clause. Chatter from The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta put the Lightning’s extension offer at four years at around $15 million per season, though neither side has confirmed that.
Kucherov was already critical of where the league is headed. At media day in September he said the game is “faster, but very dumb. Low IQ.” Kaplan did not connect that to the trade request.
Montreal has been one name in the speculation. Jeff Marek said in September on The Sheet that he could see Kucherov becoming a Canadien next July 1, though Kaplan’s post does not mention the Canadiens or any other team.
The Lightning visit Nashville on Saturday, and Kucherov arrives with 15 points in 12 games and a trade request hanging over the building.
