Nikita Kucherov’s contract mess with the Tampa Bay Lightning has raised a bigger question around the organization, but his agent says it does not spill over to Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Dan Milstein, who represents both players, said the two situations have to stay separate even though Kucherov and Vasilevskiy are close and share the same agent. Milstein also represents 67 other NHL players, and he said that when one client has a problem, he has to handle it without letting it bleed into another one.
“I have 69 clients on NHL contracts and the number is growing. I believe we have clients on 27 or 28 teams, along those lines,” said Milstein. “Sometimes you fight with the person and then five seconds later you pick up the phone and you talk about a different client.”
Milstein said Vasilevskiy is in a good place with Tampa Bay right now.
“At this point in time, Andrei is extremely happy. He, like Nikita Kucherov pre-summer, wishes to finish his career as a Tampa Bay Lightning player. The goal is to play 1000 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning and I hope, and I can only hope, because it’s not up to us, that Andrei finishes career with one team.”
That’s where the concern comes in for the Lightning. Kucherov also wanted to stay in Tampa before the summer, but negotiations went sideways and now his future is headed elsewhere. Milstein said the situation has gone so far that Kucherov is prepared to finish the season with the Lightning if no trade happens, but he is not coming back after that.
“Regardless if he gets traded now or later, on July 1st [Kucherov] will sign with a new club,” said Milstein.
The Lightning have already shown they are willing to draw a hard line with stars over money, telling Kucherov they would not go higher on their offer. That leaves the obvious question: could they do the same thing to Vasilevskiy if talks ever get tense?
Kucherov is the second player GM Julien BriseBois has taken that stance with, after Steven Stamkos. That history is why Vasilevskiy’s situation will be watched closely if contract talks become difficult.
For now, Milstein says Vasilevskiy is happy. Still, the possibility remains that one bad negotiation could change everything.
And if Vasilevskiy ever reaches the open market, he would be in a strong position. The goalie pool in free agency is thin, with John Gibson and Jordan Binnington the other names likely to attract attention this summer. Vasilevskiy stands out as the clear prize, and if Tampa Bay makes negotiations uncomfortable, he should have no problem finding another team willing to pay.
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Kucherov Just Turned Tampa Bays Biggest Contract Fight Into Something Bigger
Nikita Kucherov has pushed Tampa Bay into a familiar but uncomfortable place, with a contract standoff now spilling into a trade request. The Lightning stars situation is not framed around money as much as it is about how the relationship has functioned behind the scenes, and that makes it feel bigger than a simple negotiation over dollars and years.
For Tampa Bay, the immediate message from both the general manager and coach has been clear: there is no intention to move him. Still, the gap between what Kucherov is seeking and what the Lightning have put on the table has turned this into one of the teams defining storylines, with most around the league expecting him to stay for now before the long-term question comes back into focus later. [Read more 🡒]
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Nikita Kucherovs future has become one of those rare Lightning storylines that would have sounded far-fetched not long ago. NHL analyst James Mirtle raised the possibility of the Toronto Maple Leafs chasing the Tampa Bay star if he reaches free agency, a scenario that would instantly reshape the conversation around one of the leagues most important players and one of the Lightnings most recognizable faces.
The idea is still more theory than plan, but it underscores how complicated this situation has become. Mirtle pointed out that Toronto could at least explore the fit, even if the financial hurdles and roster limits would make a move difficult to pull off. For Tampa Bay, the bigger issue is simply that a player central to everything the franchise has built is now at the center of a very real exit discussion. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Keep Winning But One Huge Story Isn't Going Away
The Blackhawks come to Tampa Bay on Nov. 5 still trying to find their first road win, and they arrive shorthanded after recalling forward Dillon Boucher to help cover roster gaps created by injuries. Chicago has been sliding lately, while the Lightning continue to protect a perfect home record and keep stacking wins in front of their own crowd.
Even with the game itself carrying plenty of weight, the bigger conversation around Tampa Bay is not going away. Nikita Kucherovs ongoing trade request remains the backdrop to everything the Lightning do right now, and it hangs over a team that is still trying to keep its focus on the ice while the questions keep coming off it. [Read more 🡒]