Nikita Kucherov’s trade request has put the spotlight on where the Lightning star could end up, and Elliotte Friedman says Canada is very much in play.
On Saturday Headlines, the Sportsnet insider said Kucherov would be willing to consider both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens if Tampa Bay decides to move him and the return is right. “I do believe that if Tampa was going to trade him, and Montreal and Toronto could come up with a package that Tampa would like, those are two teams, among many, he would consider,” he said. Friedman also noted that a Canadian destination would not be a problem for Kucherov, unlike for some players who have trade protection.
The bigger issue, Friedman suggested, is how the negotiations unfolded. “More than the money, I think that the reason we’re here today has been the pace of the negotiations, or lack thereof,” he said, pointing to Tampa Bay’s approach in trying to re-sign Kucherov.
According to Friedman, the Lightning initially lowballed him, with Kucherov wanting to be in the Kirill Kaprizov range when talks began. Then the Leo Carlsson offer sheet shifted the market, and Kucherov realized his ask had been too low.
Friedman said he could not verify whether a four-year, $15 million-per-season offer was on the table or whether Kucherov responded with a six-year, $20 million counter. What he did say was that Kucherov was upset, and that once the winger makes up his mind, it is extremely difficult to change it.
For now, the Lightning are reportedly planning to wait and hope Kucherov changes course. Teams that have checked in on a possible deal believe Tampa Bay is serious when it says he is not available.
Kucherov did not address reporters after Saturday’s game, but several people around the team did. Lightning captain Victor Hedman, who has played alongside Kucherov throughout all 13 of his seasons in Tampa, said the team was aware of the request before it became public. “It was a tough day,” Hedman said.
Brayden Point, Kucherov’s linemate, said he does not expect the situation to spill onto the ice. “Right now, he’s a Bolt,” Point said.
Steven Stamkos, the former Lightning captain now with Nashville, said the news caught him off guard, but he still had praise for his old teammate. He also said Kucherov “still looked pretty good out there tonight.”
Kucherov recently moved past Stamkos as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer on Oct. 24 and now has 1,142 points. He also helped Tampa Bay win Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.