The NHL trade market has turned loud, and Tampa is at the center of the biggest surprise. Reigning MVP Nikita Kucherov has told his teammates and the Lightning that he will not re-sign and wants to be traded, according to Pierre LeBrun. LeBrun reported that Kucherov and his agent met with GM Julien BriseBois, and that Kucherov later delivered the message to teammates on the plane.
No reason has surfaced for the decision, and both BriseBois and Kucherov’s agent have stayed quiet. Kucherov is in the final year of his $9.5 million deal and carries a 10-team trade list, though the teams on it have not been revealed.
Tampa is 8-3-1 and sitting third in the Atlantic, which only makes the situation harder to untangle. BriseBois later said the Lightning have no intention of trading Kucherov.
Minnesota, meanwhile, is staring at a different kind of dilemma with Quinn Hughes. Elliotte Friedman said the Wild’s position feels a lot like the Mikko Rantanen situation in Carolina, where the Hurricanes eventually decided they couldn’t wait, moved him to Dallas for a strong return, and later won a Cup. The concern in Minnesota is simple: if they hold Hughes and he leaves in free agency, they could end up with nothing.
There’s one important wrinkle separating the two situations. Rantanen gave Carolina a list of teams he’d extend with, which helped create a market.
Hughes has not done that. He has been upfront, but he hasn’t made any promises, and that makes any trade far tougher.
Any team acquiring him would be taking on the real risk that he walks away.
The Wild are also still pushing hard on Dylan Larkin. Minnesota has reportedly put multiple offers on the table, including two or three first-round picks.
Detroit, though, wants NHL players who can help immediately rather than draft capital. Scott Wheeler said that approach doesn’t make sense, pointing out that the Red Wings could always move picks later for the kind of players they want.
Detroit isn’t under pressure to rush the decision, either, with Larkin suspended without pay, so the club can keep listening and keep shopping the situation. The Flyers could enter as a third team to help structure a deal. Montreal is the only other club with a package ready, though they are not on Larkin’s list.
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What makes the whole thing especially delicate for the Red Wings is the timing and the leverage at play. MacLean urged patience on Detroits side, arguing the club should not force a move unless the return is right, which leaves the front office balancing a difficult negotiation against the reality of a player who has become unavailable. For a team trying to steady itself, the next step may matter as much as the eventual destination. [Read more 🡒]
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Red Wings Face A Dylan Larkin Decision That Could Divide Fans
The Dylan Larkin chatter around Detroit has taken on a familiar trade-deadline feel, with the Minnesota Wild still pushing to pry away the Red Wings captain and the sides apparently stuck on what kind of return would actually move the needle. Detroit is said to be looking for players who can help right away rather than stocking up on future draft capital, which has left the talks at an impasse as the Red Wings weigh the value of their leader against the kind of package they would need to justify dealing him.
Philadelphia has emerged as a possible route to break the logjam, with the Flyers potentially stepping in as a third team to help structure a deal. For a Red Wings fan base already split by the idea of moving Larkin at all, the possibility of a multi-team arrangement only adds another layer of uncertainty, and for now the whole situation remains in the realm of negotiation rather than completion. [Read more 🡒]