Nikita Kucherov has asked for a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to a Friday evening report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
The news lands with plenty of weight: Kucherov is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, the reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner, and Tampa Bay’s longtime centerpiece. Friedman reported that the 33-year-old has informed both Lightning management and his teammates that he does not plan to re-sign with the club.
“The exact reasons are unclear at this point, but Kucherov - the NHL’s reigning MVP - is in the final season of an eight-year, $76-million contract. Last week, he passed Steven Stamkos as the leading scorer in franchise history,” Friedman wrote. “Both Lightning GM Julien BriseBois and Dan Milstein, Kucherov’s agent, declined to comment.”
He added, “For most of us, Kucherov staying in Tampa seemed like an absolute certainty. Obviously, we were wrong about that. Who knows where we go by the trade deadline and July 1, but Kucherov has made it clear he is not happy and, at this time, prefers another path.”
Under the terms of his deal, Kucherov has to submit a 10-team list of clubs he would approve for a trade.
The Lightning made Kucherov a second-round pick, No. 58 overall, in the 2011 NHL Draft, and he has spent his entire pro career in the organization. The 5-foot-11 winger has been part of Tampa Bay runs to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
His production has stayed at an elite level throughout. Kucherov has hit the 100-point mark or better six times, and he won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s top scorer in 2018-19, 2023-24 and 2024-25. Last season, he took home league MVP honors for the second time after leading the Lightning with 44 goals and 130 points in 76 games.
Even with the uncertainty around Kucherov’s future, Tampa Bay has opened this season well. The Lightning are 8-3-1 and have 17 points through 12 games, good for a comfortable playoff position in the Atlantic Division. The club, though, has not won a postseason series since its last trip to the Stanley Cup Final, when it lost to the Colorado Avalanche in six games.
Kucherov’s request arrives amid similar demands from Connor Hellebuyck, Dylan Larkin and Brady Tkachuk. Friedman noted that this situation stands apart, however, saying Kucherov is asking out of a Florida-based team and did not win a gold medal at the most recent Winter Olympics.
In 891 career NHL games over parts of 13 regular seasons with the Lightning, Kucherov has 405 goals and 1,139 points. In the playoffs, the Maykop, Russia native has added 54 goals and 177 points in 159 games.
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